Pierre Bonnard: The Colour of Memory


Colourful exhibition at Tate Modern looking at the life and career of Pierre Bonnard.

 I loved the domestic nature of the work as Bonnard chose his family and home as the main subject of his work. In that respect they reminded me of the art of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell and the Bloomsbury Group. I loved the vibrant rather exaggerated colours. The memory aspect came from the fact that they were not painted from life but were remembered scenes re-imagined in the studio. 

I liked the fact the paintings were shown with photographs and that the commentaries looked at the influence on photography on some of the compositions. I loved the tiny photographs of Bonnard and his wife Marthe naked in the grass on which he based some paintings. It was also nice to see drawings for some of the paintings.

I think my favourite works were his still lives full of fruit and colour and those of dinner tables loaded with food. I liked the nudes but was amused to see the models, mainly his wife, always kept their shoes on which gave them a feel of being every day, quirky scenes.

Closes on 6 May 2019

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