Costermonger (Le marchand des quatres-saisons)
c. 1897 (published 1899)
Medium
color lithograph on wove paper
Dimensions
image: 29.5 x 34 cm (11 5/8 x 13 3/8 in.) sheet: 40.6 x 53.3 cm (16 x 21 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection
Accession Number
2000.180.14
Art Historical Context
Pierre Bonnard's *Costermonger (Le marchand des quatre-saisons)*, created around 1897 and published in 1899, captures the vibrant street life of fin-de-siècle Paris. This color lithograph depicts a costermonger—a traditional street vendor hawking seasonal fruits and vegetables, evoking the lively cries of "Le marchand des quatre-saisons" that echoed through the city's markets. Bonnard, a key figure in the Post-Impressionist group Les Nabis, infused the scene with his signature decorative flair, using bold patterns and luminous colors to transform everyday urban bustle into poetic harmony. Pri...
About the Artist
Pierre Bonnard
Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947) was a French painter and printmaker who became a leading figure in the Post-Impressionist movement and a founding member of Les Nabis. Born on October 3, 1867, in Fontenay-aux-Roses, France, Bonnard initially studied law at his father's insistence, graduating and briefly practicing as a barrister in 1888. However, his true passion lay in art, and he had simultaneously at...