Boulevard [recto]

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling streets of fin-de-siècle Paris with Bonnard's *Boulevard [recto]*, a vibrant color lith created around 1896 and published in 1899 by the influential dealer Ambroise Vollard. This panoramic print, measuring an expansive 17.3 × 43.2 cm in its image area, captures the lively energy of a Parisian boulevard, rendered on wove paper with Bonnard's signature Post-Impressionist flair. a member of the intimate Les Nabis group,nard infused his work with decorative patterns, bold colors, and a dreamlike quality, transforming everyday urban scenes into poetic vignettes. The artwork hails from Vollard's groundbreaking album *Quelques aspects de la vie de Paris*, a series of 10 color lithographs that showcased the Nabis' innovative mastery of the medium. Lithography allowed Bonnard to layer vivid hues with a spontaneity akin to painting, pushing the boundaries of printmaking during the Belle Époque. Vollard, a key patron of modern art, championed such experiments, making affordable yet artistic reproductions accessible to a wider audience. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection (Department CG-E), *Boulevard* evokes the cultural pulse of 1890s Paris—cafés, crowds, and fleeting moments—inviting viewers to savor Bonnard's joyful celebration of city life.