Last Light (Dernier reflet)
1927/1928
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph in black
Dimensions
image: 20 x 30.5 cm (7 7/8 x 12 in.) sheet: 31.3 x 50.5 cm (12 5/16 x 19 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection
Accession Number
2000.180.73
Art Historical Context
Pierre Bonnard's *Last Light (Dernier reflet)*, created around 1927–1928, is a striking black lithograph that captures the French artist's refined printmaking prowess during his mature period. Bonnard (1867–1947), a leading Post-Impressionist and member of the intimate Les Nabis group, was celebrated for his vibrant, light-filled paintings of everyday domestic scenes. In this monochrome work, he shifts to the subtle drama of lithography, a technique he mastered early in his career, employing greasy crayon on a stone plate to produce velvety tones and textures through ink transfer. The title e...
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...