Pierre Bonnard Art for Sale: Prints & Originals

Born on 3 October 1867 in Fontenay-aux-Roses, France, Bonnard was initially destined for a career in law, adhering to his family's wishes. However, the allure of art proved irresistible, and he soon abandoned his legal studies for a fresh start in Paris. He enrolled at the Académie Julian and later the École des Beaux-Arts, where he honed his craft and forged critical friendships with fellow artists, including Édouard Vuillard and Maurice Denis. Together, they formed the Nabis, a group dedicated to exploring the symbolic potential of art, drawing inspiration from the work of Paul Cézanne and Paul Gauguin.

Bonnard's early work was marked by a Nabi-inspired fusion of natural forms into patterns, reflecting an interest in Japanese prints and the decorative arts. Yet, as his career progressed, Bonnard's style evolved into a more personal and atmospheric approach. His paintings became celebrations of colour and light, with compositions that balanced the intimate with the infinite, often blurring the boundaries between the two.

Significant artworks from Bonnard's oeuvre include The Terrace At Vernonnet and Dining Room In The Country, exemplifying his mastery of colour, light, and intimate everyday settings. Bonnard's later years were marked by an even deeper introspection and refinement of his style. His ability to transform the mundane into the sublime reached new heights, as seen in works like The Bath and Garden. These paintings are characterised by a palette that seems to capture the very essence of sensory experience. Bonnard’s focus on the private and transient moments of domestic life did not replicate reality, but rather interpreted it, giving each scene a sense of permanence and poetic resonance.

Bonnard's contributions were celebrated during his lifetime with exhibitions at esteemed venues such as the Salon des Indépendants and the Salon d'Automne in Paris. His influence is reflected in the retrospectives held posthumously at prominent institutions, including the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris and the Tate Gallery in London.

Bonnard consistently experimented with the boundaries of the canvas, often extending scenes beyond their conventional limits to evoke an ongoing narrative. This technique, combined with his distinctive, almost incandescent use of colour, allowed Bonnard to communicate not just scenes, but moods, making his works an immersive experience. His influence cements his status as a pivotal figure in modern art, illustrating how the personal transcends into the universal in its appeal and relevance.

Pierre Bonnard, a leading figure of the Intimists, is celebrated for his vibrant and intimate depictions of domestic life. His art is characterised by its radiant colours and complex compositions that often feature elements of his personal environment. Bonnard's works are windows into private moments, capturing scenes within his home, views from his windows, and portraits of his muse and wife, Marthe. His unique use of colour and light creates a warm, inviting atmosphere, blurring the boundaries between the viewer and the private world he portrays.
In the late 19th century, Bonnard became a founding member of Nabis, a group of young French artists who sought to break away from the naturalistic depictions of Impressionism. Influenced by Paul Gauguin and Japanese prints, Les Nabis favoured a more symbolic and decorative approach to painting. Bonnard's contributions to the group were significant; his works from this period are marked by flat areas of bold, unmodulated colour and a dream-like quality that transcends the constraints of direct representation.
Despite being an influential artist during his lifetime, Bonnard's work was somewhat overshadowed by the burgeoning modernist movements that favoured abstraction. It wasn't until after his death in 1947 that Bonnard's genius was fully recognised. Retrospectives of his work have since highlighted the depth and subtlety of his art, securing his place as one of the great colourists of the 20th century.