Until October 6th, Caumont - Centre d'Art invites you to experience the work of Pierre Bonnard like you've never seen before. Through a selection of exceptional paintings, the institution explores the painter's fascination with Japanese prints, whose discovery transformed his view of art. This unique exhibition highlights the distinctive process of the artist.
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Pierre Bonnard, Conversation Provençale © Prague, Národní Galerie, Photo : akg-images / Erich Lessing
Bonnard and Japan, a love story at the crossroads of worlds
It was in 1890, during an exhibition organized by Siegfried Bing at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, that Pierre Bonnard truly discovered Japanese painting. It was a revelation that captivated him so much that it would completely change his approach to painting. From that moment on, he embraced new aesthetic principles, moving away from classic representations of reality. The Nabi began to collect prints, and his art turned towards « japonisme ».
As he created, Bonnard claimed the flexibility of movements, the contrast of colors, a strong taste for decoration, and the flattening of space.
. It’s a new era that begins, encouraging the artist to embrace an innovative representation of the ephemeral, not to replicate what he sees, but rather to express what he feels. And to do this, he only uses a major instrument: color.
Pierre Bonnard, At the Bar © Private Collection, Photo: Heritage Images / Fine Art Images / akg-images
An Exhibition as Disturbing as it is Exhilarating
It’s in these uniquely singular works that Caumont - Centre d'Art invites you to dive in today. By bridging the painter's creations with a number of Japanese prints from the prestigious Leskowicz collection, the museum shines a light on the unbreakable links and the undeniable influence of Japanese art on this artist, who was captivated not only by the aesthetics but also by the way of thinking of Japanese artists.
On site, we discover a unique selection of canvases, some of which are rarely or never exhibited to the French public. Among the major works presented, we find the Women in the Garden, a folding screen...
representing the 4 seasons through the profiles of 4 mystical women with a Japanese flair. Or even Almond Tree in Blossom, his very latest painting, which shows that, until the end of his life, Bonnard will remain faithful to his everlasting love: Japan.
View of the exhibition, Pierre Bonnard, Women in the Garden, Orsay Museum, Photo © Culturespaces / Thomas Garnier
Bonnard and Japan
Caumont - Art Center
3, Joseph Cabassol Street – Aix-en-Provence
Until October 6, 2024
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