Sensual, Shimmering, Glowing: Pierre Bonnard’s Spectacular Worlds of Color

  • BASEL, Switzerland
  • /
  • February 13, 2012

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Pierre Bonnard, Le Café, 1915, Coffee. Oil on canvas, 73 × 106.4 cm. Tate, presented by Sir Michael Sadler through the Art Fund 1941.
Photo: © 2012, Tate, London © 2012, ProLitteris, Zurich
Pierre Bonnard, Fenêtre ouverte sur la Seine (Vernon), 1911–12. Open Window towards the Seine (Vernon). Oil on canvas, 78 × 105.5 cm. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice.
Photo: Muriel Anssens © Ville de Nice © 2012, P...

A new catalog for the exhibition "Pierre Bonnard" is a resplendent presentation of Post-Impressionist interiors, gardens, and boulevards.

This publication is devoted to a retrospective of the work of Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947), one of the most fascinating painters of the modern era., on view through May 13, 2012 at Fondation Beyeler in Basel.

An outstanding colorist, Bonnard aimed to express all kinds of sensory impressions through color. He found his favorite subjects in his personal environment, whereby his homes in Normandy and on the Côte d’Azur played a special role, supplying him with the constellations and inspiration he needed for his colorful paintings.

Pierre Bonnard, Baignoire (Le Bain), 1925, The Bath. Oil on canvas, 86 × 120.6 cm. Tate, presented by Lord Ivor-Spencer-Churchill through the Contemporary Art Society 1930.
Photo: © 2012, Tate, London © 2012, ProLitteris...

The catalogue features a veritable “maison imaginaire de Bonnard,” presenting the themes to which he remained faithful throughout his life.

Containing about sixty paintings from international museums and private collections, with the famous scenes of bathers, views of his garden, depictions of everyday life, and the gay hustle and bustle on the streets of Paris, the catalogue provides a new overview of Bonnard’s work and his development as an artist.

Pierre Bonnard, Edited by Fondation Beyeler, Ulf Küster, foreword by Samuel Keller, Ulf Küster, texts by Evelyn Benesch, Andreas Beyer, Marina Ferretti Bocquillon, Fiona Hesse, Michiko Kono, Ulf Küster, Beate Söntgen, graphic design by Hiltbrunner Design. (Hatje Cantz, 2012). Hardcover available. ISBN 978-3-7757-3265-9


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