Description

Pierre Bonnard (1889-1955)

1930
Etching on Paper
9″x12″ unframed paper size

Illustration for La Vie de Sainte-Monique (The Life of Saint Monica), a book by Ambroise Vollard published in 1930. Vollard was a Parisian artist, avant-garde art merchant, and Bonnard’s patron. Initialed “PB” on the plate. Stamped with the Bassett collection estate stamp on the back. Good vintage condition.

From the estate of Edyth and Phillip Basset

Pierre Bonnard was a French painter, illustrator, and printmaker, and a leading figure in the transition from impressionism to modernism. Bonnards work is characterized by his playful use of color and brushstrokes, as well has his implementation of decorative strategies and motifs. Joyful, romantic, and tinged with melancholy, Bonnards work has been widely praised for its capture of the essence of a life well lived, while also ever so gently nodding to its impermanence. This is especially evident in his later work, which featured intimate interior scenes, whose soft impressionist brushstrokes evoke the sensation of a distant, yet pleasant memory. He was a founding member of the Post-Impressionist group of avant-garde artists know as Les Nabis (1888-1900) alongside notable painters such as Maurice Denis, Paul Ranson, douard Vuillard, Ker-Xavier Roussel, Flix Vallotton, and Paul Srusier. A retrospective of his prolific body of work was recently on view at SFMoma in 2018.

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