Wildenstein, London (acquired circa 1960)
Robert Carrington, Malibu (acquired in 1972; sale: Sotheby's, New York, 2nd May 1974, lot 215)
Galerie La Boétie, New York (purchased at the above sale)
Galerie Claude Bernard, Paris (acquired circa February 1982)

London, Wildenstein, Paintings and Drawings by Continental Masters XVIth-XXth Centuries, 1960, no. 52
London, Fischer Fine Art, A Journey into the Universe of Art from Courbet and Corot to Bacon, Moore and Lindner, 1972, no. 90, illustrated 

Guy Cogeval, Vuillard, Post-Impressionist Master, New York, 2002, p. 22
Antoine Salomon & Guy Cogeval, Vuillard, The Inexhaustible Glance, Critical Catalogue of Paintings and Pastels, Milan, 2003, vol. I, no. II-4, illustrated in colour p. 76

The canvas is lined. There is a 15cm. line of retouching to the left of the figure's face and several 1cm. lines of retouching towards the top left edge. All retouching is visible under UV light. Apart from a thick layer of varnish, and some minor specks of retouching, mainly to the centre of the top edge and visible under the UV light, this work is in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Nabi group emerged in the summer of 1888, when Paul Sérusier returned from Pont-Aven with a small landscape, executed under the supervision of Gauguin. This became an exemplar to a small group of like-minded artists, included Denis, Ranson and Bonnard, who met in a small bistro to formulate their aesthetic ideas in reaction to the academic conventions of the time. Vuillard did not join the group until late in 1889, but impressed by the exhibition of Gauguin's work held at the Café Volpini, he quickly adapted his style and palette to Nabi principles.  

Portrait de Marie Vuillard is one of the earliest works of Vuillard's Nabi period, and exhibits💦 the earthy tints and naive modelling characteristic of the movement. Vuillard employs simple colours and stippled paintwork to build up a portrait of his sister which is less about portrඣaying the subject than the visual expression of the artist's sensibility through a synthesis of nature and his personal aesthetic vocabulary.  This point is exemplified in a note from his Journal for 9th September 1890, in which Vuillard comments on his thought process in creating this very work: 'another time working on a portrait of Mimi I confused the mood I was in with the emotional expression of my painting...'