- 548
Pierre Bonnard
Description
- Pierre Bonnard
- La charmille
- stamped Bonnard (lower left)
- oil on panel
- 27.8 by 36.6cm., 11 by 14 3/8 in.
Provenance
Arthur Tooth & Sons, London
Private Collection, Switzerland (sale: Sotheby's, London, 30th March 1988, lot 109)
Sale: Sotheby's New York, 13th November 1996, lot 169
Monsieur Georges Bemberg
Exhibited
Madrid, Centro Cultural del Conde Duque, Una mirada sobre Pierre Bonnard, 2001
Literature
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
La charmille is a wonderful early example of Bonnard’s engagement with the garden motif. The influence of the Nabis style is visible: In the present work Bonnard abandons perspective almost completely, emphasising the opulent surface texture through varied brushstrokes, whilst figures and background are seemingly merged into single plane. Bonnard’s attempt to capture nature’s rich and ever changing nuances through the use of a varied palette of rich greens, in combination with short brush strokes, is a testament to the influence of Impressionism. The theme of the garden itself is owed to this influence: Claude Monet found his garden to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration, and Bonnard and Monet maintained very close relations, living from 1912 in close proximity to Giverny and Vernonnet.