Pierre Bonnard : Early and Late

Rating:
Summary: Good Book on an Underrated Painter
Review: "Early and Late" is the book that accompanied the Phillips Collection's 2002 exhibit on Bonnard's early and late works. The exhibitition was beautiful. The book, of course, doesn't do justice to the colors in the originals, but the book's prints, particularly the details, are very good.

The book includes a chronology of Bonnnard's life, three excellent essays, and some notes from Bonnard's journals. One essay discusses Bonnard's innovations, especially early on and especially his use of photography as a way to prepare for his paintings. Another essay shows how Bonnard's paintings were influenced by his reformed education. A final essay demonstrates Bonnard's debt to Japanese art.

Bonnard's longevity, I think, has kept him from having more of a reputation as an innovator. A quick overview of Bonnard's work shows that he was still painting postimpressionism toward the middle of the 20th Century. His use of different points of view and contrasting colors, and the subservience of the object to the idea make him more than a late impressionist. Basically, I like this guy's work, and this book helped me answer my question, "What is it about this man's painting that I like?"