Passage des Arts

Pierre and Marthe Bonnard, the color of mystery (1x2)

Air date: Jan 01, 2020

Entering the work of Pierre Bonnard, "the painter of happiness", is to be enchanted by sunny landscapes, rich and dazzling colors, nudes in the toilet, intimate interiors. It is also discovering the endlessly painted and sublimated body of Marthe, the one who was his wife for 50 years. The painter's work resembles what one can imagine of their couple: everything seems peaceful and normal. And yet nothing is, behind the canvas hides the turmoil. The duo formed by Pierre and Marthe Bonnard remains a mystery, as much for his contemporaries as for art historians. They are both discreet, withdrawn, they cherish their intimate universe. And yet it is around Pierre Bonnard that the Nabis group shines in the heart of this artistic Paris at the end of the 19th century.