Research on Pierre Bonnard's art

 For today's class we have been asked to research about Pierre Bonnard and one of his artworks, Nude in Bathtub in 30 minutes. We need to find out how this might be relevant for us, as well as researching the artwork itself. This was the information we were given: 

Pierre Bonnard Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947), Nude in Bathtub (c 1938-41), oil on canvas, 121.9 x 151.1 cm, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA. The Athenaeum.

Pierre Bonnard's Nude in Bathtub

After a quick google search, I found various resources that seemed reliable, like the MoMA or Tate. I decided to look for information about him in the first place and then I would focus on the art piece. 

"Pierre Bonnard was a french painter, illustrator and printmaker, known especially for the stylized decorative qualities of his paintings and his bold use of color" - Google Arts & Culture

According to Tate, this artist was greatly influenced by Gaugin, know for his colours. This painter was part of a group called Les Nabis, as well, which stands for prophet in Hebrew. In the same page, I found this information I read that he enjoyed painting domestic scenes as well as nudes. In the MoMA gallery I have found many of his works which are from an illustrated book with 109 lithographs and nine wood engravings. (Parallèlement)

The artwork shows the wife of Pierre Bonnard, Marthe, naked in her bathtub. It presents a colourful bathroom with bright tones and loose strokes, displaying coloured tiles in the background and checkered ones on the ground, where the family's dog sits, looking directly at the viewer. 

"Its colours are brilliant and visionary. The form of the bath adapts itself to that of Marthe within, curving around her legs in its asymmetry. The shimmering patterns of the floor and the curtain are quite indepent of their orientation. Beside the bath, Marthe's dog looks up at the viewer, as if knowing where this is all heading." - The Eclectic Light Company 

I believe that the main link that can be made between this artwork and fashion is the colours and strokes that conform it. Tones like the blue in the background are very important in this year's winter knit collections and the yellow in the right is expected to be present in this summer's accessories. As well, the "carefree" style shown by the lack of straight lines and perspectives can be related to the comfortable and creative desires that consumers feel after this year's lockdown and telecommuting.

References

FashionUnited. 2020. Trends: What Will Spring/Summer 2021 Be All About?. [online] Available at: <https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/trends-what-will-spring-summer-2021-be-all-about/2020061934088> [Accessed 11 November 2020].

Google Arts & Culture. n.d. Pierre Bonnard - Google Arts & Culture. [online] Available at: <https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/pierre-bonnard/m01_lss?categoryId=artist> [Accessed 11 November 2020].

Tate. n.d. Eight Essentials To Know About Pierre Bonnard – Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/pierre-bonnard-781/eight-essentials-know-about-pierre-bonnard> [Accessed 11 November 2020].

The Museum of Modern Art. n.d. Pierre Bonnard | Moma. [online] Available at: <https://www.moma.org/artists/665?=undefined&page=4&direction=fwd> [Accessed 11 November 2020].

The Museum of Modern Art. n.d. Parallèlement (In Parallel) | Moma. [online] Available at: <https://www.moma.org/collection/works/illustratedbooks/21279> [Accessed 11 November 2020].

The Eclectic Light Company. 2020. Pierre Bonnard: At Home With Marthe, 1937-1943. [online] Available at: <https://eclecticlight.co/2018/08/15/pierre-bonnard-at-home-with-marthe-1937-1943/> [Accessed 11 November 2020].