In around 1890 some young painters came together under the name of the “Nabis", among them were, Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis, Félix Vallotton and Edouard Vuillard. They sought new ideas for the art of painting: they were no longer concerned with the analysis of atmospheric light as the Impressionists were, but more with the unrestricted execution of colour; which was supposed to determine the pictorial design. The intimacy of family and the circle of friends replaced landscape and contemporary life in the foreground.

The bachelor Vuillard lived in a small apartment with his mother. He was also very close to his niece Annette, who was born in 1898 and whom he also painted often. Annette’s father was a fellow painter Ker-Xavier Roussel, who was also a member of the “Nabis.”

Madame Vuillard is putting the small girl on the bed–an everyday occurrence. What is touching in this gesture is the familiarity between the two figures, their stillness and their cheerful dialogue. Vuillard made this happy moment the subject of the picture and emphasised it with the intensity of the colour he used.

The encounter of the two figures is portrayed in a narrow section of the room, bordered by the black of the bed frame. Everything in it appears to be covered in blue: the bedding is portrayed in a warm blue with a light blue floral pattern. The decorative wallpaper, which constitutes the background, is painted in Prussian blue. Only the child’s white undergarment radiates out of the blue tones and thereby distinguishes the main protagonist.