Pierre Bonnard

While still studying law, which he gave up in 1885, Pierre Bonnard enrolled at the 'Académie Julian' in Paris, where he met Paul Sérusier and Maurice Denis. In 1888 they founded the artists' group 'Nabis', of the 'enlightened', which was later joined by Bonnard. In 1889 Bonnard was admitted to the 'École des Beaux-Arts', where he met Edouard Vuillard. Both of them studied the works of Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet and others, but their greatest admiration was for Paul Gauguin. From 1891 Pierre Bonnard first showed five of his paintings at the 'Salon des Indépendants'. He began to look into graphic print and designed the poster 'France-Champagne'. Due to the great success of this work, Bonnard gave up his legal career and fully dedicated himself to art. Between 1889 and 1902 he produced approximately 250 lithographies for billboards, wall and theater decorations, plus illustrations among others, for the journal 'Revue Blanche'. Bonnard's first solo exhibition took place at the Paris Durand-Ruel gallery in 1896. His experience with commercial art also influenced Bonnard's painting. Alongside the economy of color, the line received a special dynamism - it not only became the carrier of movement but also of the expression of the soul. Initially Bonnard found his motifs in the city of Paris: small, instantaneous everyday scenes, often depicted from an unusual angle. Around the turn of the century the painter began to move away from the elements of Art Nuveau and Symbolism, his earlier unobstrusive color gave way to a bright, colorful palette and his street scenes were gradually replaced by pastoral, idyllic scenes, nudes and interiors. In 1900 Bonnard first exhibited together with 'Nabis' in the Bernheim-Jeune gallery. Over the subsequent years, Bonnard traveled to England, Belgium, Holland, Spain and Italy, mostly accompanied by his friend Vuillard, with whom he also went to Hamburg in 1913 at Alfred Lichtwark's invitation. During the 1920s the artist developed his mature artistic style, whose unusual complicated compositions and delicate and ingenious color schemes go far beyond the label 'Post-Impressionism'. Bonnard's life then entered calmer waters: In 1925 the painter got married and one year later moved to the southern French town of Le Cannet for good. Large exhibitions followed at the 'Kunsthaus' in Zurich in 1932 and the Wildenstein galllery in New York in 1934. Bonnard's life was dedicated to painting and was accompanied by numerous honors and awards. Pierre Bonnard died on January 23, 1947.