Eva Meurier in a Green Dress - Maurice Denis

A portrait by Maurice Denis, this 1892 work exemplifies the Nabis movement through its flattened perspective, decorative patterns, and focus on subjective colour.

Maurice Denis, a founding member of the Nabis group, painted this portrait of Eva Meurier in 1892. The work reflects the aesthetic priorities of the Nabis, who sought to move beyond the objective representation of nature. Instead, Denis focuses on the decorative potential of the canvas, using a flattened pictorial space and a rhythmic application of paint.

The subject is depicted in profile, seated against a textured, moss-green background that is punctuated by small, stylised floral motifs. Her dress, rendered with vertical, broken brushstrokes, creates a sense of movement and pattern that merges with the surrounding environment. The colour palette is dominated by earthy greens, which are balanced by the soft, pale tones of the subject's skin and the delicate white blossoms appearing to the left of the figure.

Denis was deeply influenced by the theories of Paul Gauguin, particularly the idea that a painting is essentially a flat surface covered with colours assembled in a certain order. This portrait demonstrates that philosophy, as the figure and the background exist in a unified, decorative plane rather than a traditional three-dimensional space. The sitter, Eva Meurier, was a close associate of the artist during his early career. The painting captures a quiet, contemplative mood, typical of the Nabis' interest in subjective experience and the spiritual qualities of art. The visible texture of the paint application adds a tactile quality to the surface, further distancing the work from the smooth finish favoured by the academic tradition of the period.