Pierre Bonnard

Galerie Druet, Paris
Alfred Lindon, Paris (by 1930)
Private Collection, Paris (by descent from the above; sale: Christie's, London, 7th February 2005, lot 7)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Jean & Henry Dauberville, Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint, révisé et augmenté, 1888-1905, Paris, 1992, vol. I, no. 51, illustrated p. 120

The panel is cradled and sound and there do not appear to be any signs of retouching visible under UV light. There is a very minor shallow puncture to the board in the lower right quadrant and a fine fissure to the board along the right part of the lower edge. This work is in overall good 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."

Bonnard took great joy in observing the crowded streets of 19^th Century Paris. The spectacle of urban modernity provided a colourful source of inspiration, and the artist was fascinated by the variety of subjects it offered: street sellers, elegant bourgeois ladies, old-fashioned and modern modes of transport, and urban architecture. Bonnard shared this fascination with the city with Impressionist and post-Impressionist artists, including Caillebotte, Monet and Pissarro, all of whom executed a number of works depicting Parisian boulevards, squares and bridges, usually characterised by a sense of the rich and varied life of the city, capturing the Zeitgeist of the time.

Dans la rue, la femme à l’ombrelle depicts a busy crossing in Paris. The artist has included numerous figures and animals all captured with a remarkable sense of movement, reflecting Bonnard's fascination with the energy and dynamic life of the metropolis. The lady in red, crossing the street, assumes the focal point of the composition and inadvertently draws the viewers’ eye; the red of her blouse being the most lucent accent amongst the otherwise muted palette. Gustave Geffroy commented on Bonnard’s work: 'no-one is quicker than Bonnard to seize the look of our Parisian streets, the silhouettes of a passer-by and the patch of colour which stands out in the Metropolitan mist. [He] seizes on all the momentary phenomena of the street, even the most fugitive glances are caught and set down' (Gustave Geffroy, quoted in Pierre Bonnard (exhibition catalogue), Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1996, p. 16). Returning to this subject throughout his career, Bonnard's city scenes reflect a certain joie de vivre achieved through the sparing use of bright tones and a strong sense of energy and movement. The present work positions the viewer at street level and with this seemingly nonchalant perspective suggests a chance momentary glimpse, rather than a carefully staged ensemble, thereby, further adding to the sense of the fleeting urban life.