Pierre Bonnard: Early and Late

by Elizabeth Hutton Turner

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Editorial Reviews

This major presentation of the work of Pierre Bonnard follows a new line of enquiry reconciling what has previously been seen as two distinct early and creative periods: the Nabis or symbolist Bonnard and the later so-called Impressionist or colorist Bonnard. By uniting representative works from all periods of Bonnard’s life, this book chart’s the artist’s singular pathway and illustrates his highly independent artistic vision. The 130 works illustrated here, including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, and sculpture, show that Bonnard continually experimented with alternative media and drew from a range of sources, both Eastern and Western.

Customer Reviews

Phillip's staff has it right, 2006-07-28
by Winston hough (Glenview, Il. United States)

This is one of the best books on Bonnard the color repros are good and sometimes enlarged.. Besides Antoine Terrase's book" drawing to color "this book shows how Bonnard worked up his paintings from little drawings from a daily diary he used as a sketchbook.The photos shows Bonnard's studio in Le Cannet.Also,Some of his shots of nudes. It has repros found in few other books. I have Bonnard books stemming from the MOMA exhibit after WW11 by John Rewald, Another book that had rare color repros was Bonnard edited by R.J. Beer.This is a good buy and a worthwhile study of the work. Winston Hough

Good Book on an Underrated Painter, 2003-07-05
by Peter Stephens (Ashburn, VA USA)

"Early and Late" is the book that accompanied the Phillips Collection's 2002 exhibit on Bonnard's early and late works. The exhibitition was beautiful. The book, of course, doesn't do justice to the colors in the originals, but the book's prints, particularly the details, are very good.

The book includes a chronology of Bonnnard's life, three excellent essays, and some notes from Bonnard's journals. One essay discusses Bonnard's innovations, especially early on and especially his use of photography as a way to prepare for his paintings. Another essay shows how Bonnard's paintings were influenced by his reformed education. A final essay demonstrates Bonnard's debt to Japanese art.

Bonnard's longevity, I think, has kept him from having more of a reputation as an innovator. A quick overview of Bonnard's work shows that he was still painting postimpressionism toward the middle of the 20th Century. His use of different points of view and contrasting colors, and the subservience of the object to the idea make him more than a late impressionist. Basically, I like this guy's work, and this book helped me answer my question, "What is it about this man's painting that I like?"