Lovers with Poplar Trees
1902
Medium
lithograph in black on China paper
Dimensions
image: 13.5 x 14 cm (5 5/16 x 5 1/2 in.) sheet: 32.9 x 25.9 cm (12 15/16 x 10 3/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection
Accession Number
2004.162.8
Art Historical Context
**Lovers with Poplar Trees** is a delicate 1902 lithograph by Pierre Bonnard, a leading figure in the French Post-Impressionist group known as the Nabis. Created in black ink on fine China paper—a thin, translucent Asian paper prized for its smooth texture and ability to capture subtle tonal gradations—this intimate print measures just 13.5 x 14 cm in its image area. Bonnard, celebrated for his luminous domestic scenes and playful use of color, here employs the monochrome medium to evoke a tender moment between lovers framed by slender poplar trees, blending romantic intimacy with natural sere...
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...