Study for "Gamme mineure" and "Gamme majeure"
1891/1893
Medium
pen and black ink with red chalk and graphite
Dimensions
overall: 19.6 × 27.4 cm (7 11/16 × 10 13/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection
Accession Number
2001.136.35.a
Art Historical Context
Created in 1891–1893, *Study for "Gammeure" and "G majeure"* is an early preparatory drawing by Pierre Bonnard a founding member of the avant-garde Les Nabis group. At just 24–25 years old, Bonnard was experimenting with Symbolist influences, blending decorative patterns and emotional resonance in his work. This intimate sheet, measuring a modest 19.6 × 27.4 cm, served as a sketch for two paintings evoking musical scales—"minor" and "major"—perhaps symbolizing melancholy and joy through rhythmic lines and forms. Bonnard's mixed-media technique—pen and black ink accented with red chalk and gra...
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...