136 - Marc Mouclier (1866–1948)

Marc Mouclier (1866–1948) Portrait of Édouard Vuillard. 1892. Drawing. Graphite on laid paper. [150 x 210 mm]. Annotated at the top: “Sketch after Vuillard,” then signed with initials and dated. Dust damage along the left edge. Small tears along the right edge (the sheet having been torn from a sketchbook). AABM stamp (Lugt 3075). In 1892, Marc Mouclier completed a series of studies spanning several years at the Académie Julian (which he had attended since 1885). It was in this hub of artistic activity that he became friends with Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis, Ker-Xavier Roussel, and above all Édouard Vuillard—the artists who formed the Nabis group. Beginning in 1892, Mouclier began participating alongside Vuillard and Symbolist and Impressionist painters in group exhibitions at the Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville. This personal and artistic bond remained strong throughout the 1890s; Vuillard collected his friend’s works and later painted a famous *Portrait of Marc Mouclier* (circa 1910, Milwaukee Art Museum). The two men maintained an extensive correspondence. Later, Vuillard would acknowledge his debt to his former friend: “We owe him a great deal: we learned so much from him!”