Bonnard [Hardcover]

Nicholas Watkins (Author), Pierre Bonnard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1994

Pierre Bonnard is best known as a painter of intimate, domestic interiors, but he was also a highly accomplished draughtsman who produced a wealth of lithographs and drawings. He began his career as a graphic artist, producing posters and illustrations for "La Revue Blanche" and other magazines. Associated with Maurice Denis, Edouard Vuillard and other members of the Nabis group from 1890, his early work is characterized by a tendency towards broad, flat decoration, derived from Japanese prints. From 1900, his palette became richer and his mature work achieves the level of intensity which has ensured his enduring reputation as one of the 20th century's great colourists. The author argues that Bonnard was not a sentimental survivor of Impressionism, but a highly demanding and innovative artist responding to new challenges. Nicholas Watkins has also written "Matisse".

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Watkins (Matisse, Oxford, 1985) argues for a reappraisal of Bonnard, not as the last of the Impressionists but as a formalist and decorative painter in the 20th century. Discussing his affiliation with Vuillard and the other Nabis, the author draws from the artist's work to demonstrate the influences of Gauguin, Japanese prints, and the later Degas. Withdrawing from the Paris of the 1890s into his own rich, personal, painterly iconography, Bonnard succeeded in creating intimate interiors, and his identification with his more analytical contemporary, Matisse, is apparent. Other French artists, such as Braque, whose style can be seen in some of Bonnard's still lifes, is not named, although the Cubists are mentioned as an interest. It does seem a bit stretched when Watkins implies that Bonnard influenced Monet. Overall, however, the book is well researched and contains many illustrations emphasizing Bonnard's deep involvement with color. An interesting contemporary view for art history scholars, this is recommended for academic collections.
Ellen Bates, New York
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Timothy Hyman is a painter and a regular contributor to The Times Literary Supplement, Burlington Magazine, and elsewhere. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Inc Ltd (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714828955
• ISBN-13: 978-0714828954
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,199,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Internal Paradise, June 28, 2000

By 

Elizabeth E. Brinton "lizziebee" (Kirkland WA U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bonnard (Hardcover)

Nicholas Watkins comprehensive overview of the work of Bonnard deals with the rich interplay between the quiet domesticity and the radiant, transcendental quality of the painter's art. The book covers the early years of Bonnard's work and his use of photography. The phases of the artist's work are covered in clear chapters with references to the excellent reproductions. It is especially helpful to see Bonnard's small, seemingly offhand pencil sketches, alongside the paintings. This gives a sense of the trasformative and magical quality of his observations. The many reproductions are vibrant in comparison to those seen in some other books currently available.

Bonnard fell between eras, as a post impressionist, always up against the fame of the cubists, and always compared (unfavorably, and unfairly) with the genius of Picasso. He was a quiet force, a colorist of the highest order, bringing us the light of southern France forever. This book is a great gift for an art lover, a treat for the eyes and the mind.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BONNARD IS A BIBLE FOR ART LOVERS, April 20, 2003

By 

Catherine "Desert Thoughts" (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bonnard (Paperback)

Bonnard is hot and getting hotter. You can't pick up a novel without reading that one of the characters either has a Bonnard, is getting ready to steal a Bonnard, or simply desires one.

This book has great photos and the biography, which definitely belongs with the art, is extremely well written. This is a fine book and I like it so much that when my son, who is an artist, wanted to borrow it, I simply bought him his own copy. I keep mine for myself. Selfish, but true..and tells you how much I treasure it.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Impressed, March 26, 2008

By 

wild child's mom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bonnard (Paperback)

The scope of work presented in this book is very wide and complete, the ratio of text to pictures is very satisfying, and the pictures themselves are nice and large. However the quality of the reproductions has not impressed me at all, the colors that Bonnard is so famous for are washed out, and the prints appear blurry. Allover a rather disappointing book.