Pierre Bonnard

Pierre Bonnard was born on 13.10.1867 in Fontenay-aux-Roses, southwest of Paris. In 1885-88 he first studied law in Paris at the Sorbonne Jura. Then he turns to painting and visits in 1888 the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Julian. There he meets Maurice Denis, Paul Sérusier and Edouard Vuillard, together they found in 1889 the artist group "Les Nabis" (Hebrew: Prophets). They are inspired by the art of Paul Gauguin, whose works they see in an exhibition at Café Volpini. She impresses his approach of emphasized areainess, i. the order of the color on the surface without regard to the faithful representation of the representational, rather under strongly subjective participation of feeling and imagination of the artist.

In 1896, Pierre Bonnard's first solo exhibition takes place in the gallery of Paul Durand-Ruel. From 1903 Pierre Bonnard regularly participates in the exhibitions in the Paris Autumn Salon. He deals with the Japanese woodcut art, which leads him to a more decorative image concept and organic-ornamental design principles and connects with the Art Nouveau artists.

Pierre Bonnard works as a painter, graphic designer, illustrator, poster designer, as well as designs furniture and stage decorations. Numerous illustrations are produced for the magazine "La Revue Blanche", mostly as lithographs. As a poster designer, Pierre Bonnard is one of the great pioneers of modern European poster art. In 1891 the poster "France Champagne" was created. From 1895 Pierre Bonnard's lithographic works are published by Ambroise Vollard. In 1900 he illustrated Paul Verlaine's work "Parallèlement" for him, and in 1902 he created the lithographs "Daphnis and Chloe".

The motifs for his painting Pierre Bonnard found at this time mainly in Parisian everyday life, with an eye for the small processes on the streets. In 1900 he created the painting "Straßenverkehr", which is one of the most characteristic works of this epoch.

From 1903 the artist exhibits in the newly founded Salon d'Automne. Pierre Bonnard develops his actual style of painting only after the community of the "Nabis" dissolves in 1905. He finds a tighter structure of the composition and a muted, warm and lighter color scheme. His painterly work now includes nudes, landscapes, still lifes and portraits. Many of the landscapes are taken during his travels to the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and North Africa, which he undertakes from 1907.

In 1925 the artist marries, in 1926 he moves to Le Cannet in southern France, where he lives from then on. In 1947 - just before his death - Bonnard completed the large mural "St. Francis visits the sick" in the church of Assy. Pierre Bonnard dies on January 23, 1947 in Le Cannet.

 

 

 

Pierre Bonnard Le Cabestan