Ker–Xavier Roussel (French, 1867-1944)
Public Park
INV-2786
Ker–Xavier Roussel (French, 1867-1944)c. 1893–94
Public Park
Ker–Xavier Roussel (French, 1867-1944) →Post-Impressionism19th centurynabispaintingeuropean painting
Date
c. 1893–94
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
73.1 × 107 cm (28 3/4 × 42 1/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Fund in honor of Gloria Groom
This group of women and girls gathered in the Tuileries Garden, a public park in Paris, appear absorbed in their individual activities. Despite this lack of overt interaction, the compressed space gives the composition a sense of intimacy, which is reinforced by the figures’ loose-fitting dresses, a style typically worn in private. The color red punctuates the scene via the stripe on an omnibus in the background and the outfit of the little girl playing among the group.
Ker-Xavier Roussel was a member of the Nabis, the generation of artists following Post-Impressionists like Georges Seurat. Along with other Nabi artists—including his brother-in-law Edouard Vuillard—Roussel sought to portray the beauty and mystery in everyday life.
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