Pierre Bonnard

Catalogue of an exhibition held at the Nottingham Castle Museum.

"A large retrospective of the work of the late French painter,Pierre Bonnard, will open at the Museum Modern Art, 11 West 53 Street, on May 12 and will include more than 150 oils, gouaches, watercolors, drawings, prints and illustrated books. This great modern master, who was a figure in the art world for nearly 60 years, appeals not only to those who are familiar with his work but elso to the many who like colorful interpretations of the intimate details of daily life painted with gaiety and often with humor. The exhibition, planned in collaboration with the Cleveland Museum of Art, is by far the largest Bonnard collection ever shown in the United States, It will occupy the entire third floor of the Museum and will be on view until July 25. One half of the works to be shown have been brought from foreign countries for the exhibition. Foreign lenders include both private and public collections in France, England, Holland, Switzerland, etc., and the artist's estate." -- Excerpt from MoMA press release (see link).

"Pierre Bonnard, painter, illustrator, and printmaker, is one of the greatest artists of the modern era. He was a founder in the 1890s of the circle of experimental Parisian artists known as the Nabis, which included the painters Edouard Vuillard, Maurice Denis, and Paul Serusier and the sculptor Aristide Maillol.". "Bonnard had an unrivaled talent for depicting still lifes, landscapes, figures, and domestic interiors with luminous intensity. He was influenced by Paul Gauguin and the Impressionists, seeing the world in terms of vivid color and rich surface pattern. His light-filled, rainbow-drenched images are meditations on sensuality, intimacy, sorrow, and self-discovery.". "The scholar Antoine Terrasse, great-nephew of Bonnard, explores his art and his world, from the first ambitious still-life studies and charming domestic scenes to the powerful late self-portraits. This little treasure box of a book illustrates over 180 paintings, drawings, poster designs, letters, and photographs from Bonnard's life and work, and offers new insights into one of the most complex and enigmatic artists of the 20th century."--BOOK JACKET.