Bonnard

Pierre Bonnard is best known as a painter of intimate, domestic interiors, but he was also a highly accomplished draughtsman who produced a wealth of lithographs and drawings. He began his career as a graphic artist, producing posters and illustrations for "La Revue Blanche" and other magazines. Associated with Maurice Denis, Edouard Vuillard and other members of the Nabis group from 1890, his early work is characterized by a tendency towards broad, flat decoration, derived from Japanese prints. From 1900, his palette became richer and his mature work achieves the level of intensity which has ensured his enduring reputation as one of the 20th century's great colourists. The author argues that Bonnard was not a sentimental survivor of Impressionism, but a highly demanding and innovative artist responding to new challenges. Nicholas Watkins has also written "Matisse".