In the Street (Dans la rue)

Art Historical Context

**In the Street (Dans la rue)**, created by Pierre Bonnard around 1900, captures the lively pulse of Parisian life through the vibrant medium of color lithography on wove paper. Bonnard, a leading figure in the Post-Impressionist group Les Nabis, was renowned for his luminous colors, decorative patterns, and intimate glimpses of everyday scenes. This print, with its modest image size of 26.9 x 13.6 cm on a larger 48.6 x 30.8 cm sheet, exemplifies his early mastery of printmaking, blending bold hues and fluid lines to evoke the bustling energy of urban streets during France's Belle Époque. Color lithography, pioneered in the late 19th century by artists like Toulouse-Lautrec, allowed Bonnard to layer rich tones directly from stones, producing affordable yet sophisticated multiples that democratized art. As part of the Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection at the National Gallery of Art's Prints department, this work highlights Bonnard's transition from posters to fine art prints, showcasing his innovative use of flattened forms and Japanese-inspired composition to transform ordinary moments into poetic vignettes. Visitors will appreciate how *In the Street* reflects the era's fascination with modernity and leisure, inviting us to linger on the harmonious interplay of color and light that defined Bonnard's enduring legacy. (198 words)

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...