Still Life (Primary Title)
Pierre Bonnard, French, 1867 - 1947 (Artist)
Best known for his domestic subject matter, Bonnard represents in this image the very tools of his art: a drawing album, a water jar, an atomizer, and other related objects. However, the artist seems to resist any allegory, concentrating instead on the purely visual beauty apparent in pattern and color. By mixing the mediums of pastel, charcoal, watercolor, and pencil, Bonnard creates a still life that contradicts the French term nature morte, or “dead nature,” and seems more alive than usual—perhaps because of its personal meaning to the artist.
Signed at bottom right corner: "Bonnard"
on verso of sheet: Bernheim - Jeune/83 Rue deu Faubourg St. Honore et 27. Avenue Matignon, Paris/ Hommage A Bonnard/ Mai - Juillet 1956
on verso inscribed in pencil Mellon 7420
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
"Corot to Cezanne: French Drawings from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon", VMFA, September 11, 2010-January 2, 2011.
"Corot to Cezanne: French Drawings from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon", The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia, January 25, 2013-June 2, 2013.
"Corot to Cezanne: French Drawings from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon", The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia, January 25, 2013-June 2, 2013.
©artist or artist’s estate
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