Etude de Nu

About this artwork

height 494 mm x width 320 mm

Art Historical Context

**Etude de Nu (Study of a Nude)** by Pierre Bonnard, created between 1923 and 1927, captures the artist's enduring fascination with the female form in intimate, everyday settings. Bonnard, a leading figure in the Post-Impressionist group Les Nabis, was renowned for his luminous domestic scenes and nudes bathed in soft, diffused light. By the 1920s, at the height of his career, he had shifted toward more personal, sensual explorations of the body, often drawing from his muse and wife, Marthe. This lithograph reflects that mature phase, blending observation with dreamlike intimacy amid the cultural vibrancy of interwar France. Printed in lithography—a planographic technique using grease crayon on stone for rich tonal effects—this work measures 290 mm high by 170 mm wide (sheet: approximately 494 mm × 320 mm). Lithography allowed Bonnard to achieve delicate gradations and vibrant hues reminiscent of his paintings, making fine art accessible through editions. Its modest scale invites close viewing, emphasizing the nude's graceful contours and subtle modeling. As a study, *Etude de Nu* showcases Bonnard's innovative color lithography, bridging painting and printmaking. It embodies early 20th-century modernism's embrace of the personal and erotic, offering visitors a window into an artist's private world. A gem for print enthusiasts!

About the Artist

Pierre Bonnard · 1867–1947

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...