Study of a Nude
1925
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1947.12.7
Art Historical Context
Pierre Bonnard's *Study of a Nude* (1925) is a delicate lithograph that captures the artist's lifelong fascination with the female form. As a leading figure in the Post-Impression group Les Nabis, Bonnard blended intimate observation with decorative patterns and vibrant color, often drawing inspiration from his muse and wife, Marthe. This print, from the National Gallery of Art's Rosen Collection (Department CG-E), exemplifies his shift in the 1920s more sensual, luminous depictions of nudes in private, everyday settings. Lithography suited Bonnard's painterly style perfectly, allowing him to...
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...