BONNARD
sister and brother-in-law. In 1925, after 30 years
of living together, he and Marthe finally married
in a quiet service in Paris.
However, this joyous occasion was over-
shadowed by the tragic suicide of his model and
lover, Renée Monchaty, who fatally shot herself
just weeks after the couple’s wedding. In 1927,
Marthe and Pierre retreated to a small house, Le
Bosquet, at Le Cannet, in the hills above Cannes
on the French Riviera.
Upon visiting Le Bosquet today, it becomes
clear how Bonnard’s surroundings came to inspire
his command of colour. A short stroll in the
garden at dusk reveals a dense gathering of
luscious evergreens juxtaposed with sparse
autumnal trees with russet fallen leaves. Beyond
the garden, a sprawling landscape reaches a
crescendo where the sun sets behind distant
mountains, creating a sky that fades from soft
amber to pastel blue.
This botanical haven captures both the rich
palette and social isolation which defines
Bonnard’s work, with the only visible sign of the
house’s presence from the street being a smallgate cloaked in trees and shrubbery.
While the house is closed to the public, the
nearby Le Musée Bonnard stages regular
exhibitions and artists’ workshops.
During their time at Le Bosquet, Marthe
became an essential element of Bonnard’s art,
but she also became his cross to bear. Once the
centre of the lively art scene in Paris, Bonnard’s
life had been one of social enrichment, but
Marthe couldn’t stand to be around other people.
It’s thought likely that she suffered from a mental
illness and her misanthropy brought the couple
inside, where Marthe would obsess over her
hydrotherapy – a self-prescribed treatment for her
condition which involved repeated bathing – and
Bonnard would obsess over his painting. Their
lives soon became isolated, during which time
the artist created works which captured intimate
glimpses of their daily routine, with paintings of
Marthe bathing, such as 1936’s Nu dans le Bain,
being among his most celebrated.
While Marthe remained indoors, Bonnard
would take daily walks during which he made
notes about the weather in his journal. He was
no Impressionist and never painted in front of
a subject, but he would make many sketches
from life. Back in his studio he would use these
descriptions and drawings to rebuild scenes on
the canvas. Freed from the distraction and
constraint of recording reality with accuracy,
Bonnard was able to create iridescent and
abstract interpretations of the world around him.
In 1939 the couple waited out the war at
Le Bosquet, a timely retreat as Marthe’s health
continued to decline. This period of isolation was
reflected in Bonnard’s work as the war restricted
the availability of painting supplies and food.
The produce grown in their garden became of
vital importance and as such featured heavily in
the still life paintings he made during this time.Bonnard’s
second
artistic career
emerged as
he began to
reconsider
the role of
colour in
his work
MUSÉE D’ART MODERNE DE LA VILLE DE PARIS/ROGER-VIOLLET; NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON, USA