Bonnard's Drawing Process Revealed as Foundation for Late Paintings
In 2009, an essay by Nickson, featured on artcritical, explores the creative journey of Pierre Bonnard, connecting his smaller sketches to his later artworks. This piece emerged from a panel discussion held at the New York Studio School on February 18, which included insights from Svetlana Alpers, Jack Flam, and Richard Kendall. It was released in conjunction with the exhibition 'Pierre Bonnard: The Late Interiors' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which ran from January 27 to April 19, 2009. Bonnard's confined-space drawings significantly influenced his paintings, emphasizing form and space. After 1920, he ceased using a camera, depending instead on sketches for nuanced perspective changes, resulting in a harmonious blend of drawing and painting that invites light into the viewer's realm.
Key facts
- The essay discusses Pierre Bonnard's drawing process and its role in his late paintings.
- It was posted on artcritical in 2009 alongside the exhibition 'Pierre Bonnard: The Late Interiors' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- The exhibition ran from January 27 to April 19, 2009.
- The text is based on a panel discussion moderated by Nickson at the New York Studio School on February 18, with guests Svetlana Alpers, Jack Flam, and Richard Kendall.
- Bonnard abandoned camera use around 1920, relying more on drawings for spatial complexity.
- His drawings used diverse marks like loops, squiggles, and dots to capture form and color potential.
- Works such as 'The French Window' (1932) integrate pencil and charcoal marks into the paint film.
- Bonnard's color approach emphasized reflected color in shadows, using black and white alongside saturated hues.
Entities
Artists
- Pierre Bonnard
- Nickson
- Svetlana Alpers
- Jack Flam
- Richard Kendall
- Marthe
- Renee Monchaty
- Van Gogh
- Chaplin
Institutions
- artcritical
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- New York Studio School
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Le Cannet
- France