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| Drawing by Pierre Bonnard, ca. 1920, pencil on paper, 4.25" x 6.25" |
We talked a little about why Bonnard made this drawing. That is, what were his questions? In some sense, Bonnard is the least likely painter to pose work in terms of ideas. Rather, he was given to the visual--the look of the world, his experience in seeing it. Perforce this involved his own life--that is, the dailiness of his life. Surroundings, people close (most often his wife, Marthe), sometimes one of their animals (a dachshund appears with some frequency). He'd speak of the motif in a painting--by which he meant not the subject (in an idea sense) but the particular visual form of a scene. The way a shadow caught the edge of a table, or the sunlight colors shifting on what might technically be a monochromatic wall. As far as I know, he never wrote a great deal--but he did carry a small notebook in which to record the date, the weather, maybe a note or two about color. The drawing above will give you an idea. At once very open and very accurate. Understanding Bonnard's accuracy is a beautiful and ongoing challenge.
An accuracy of touch...
