From "Le crepuscule des nymphes" (illustration, page 17)

Art Historical Context

Pierre Bonnard's *From "Le crépuscule des nymphes" (illustration, page 17)*, created in 1946, is a delicate lithograph on china paper from the renowned Rosenwald Collection at the National Gallery of Art. As one of the last works by the French Post-Impressionist master (1867–1947), it illustrates Pierre de Ronsard's 16th-century poem evoking the mythical twilight of nymphs—ethereal forest spirits fading into legend. Bonnard, a key figure in the intimate, color-drenched Nabi movement alongside peers like Vuillard, brought his signature luminous palette and fluid forms to this late-career projec...

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...