Study of a Nude

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 achieve soft, fluid lines and subtle tonal gradations that mimic the effects of his oil paintings. Unlike the precise etchings of his contemporaries, Bonnard's prints evoke a dreamlike intimacy, with dappled light and textured forms suggesting warmth and sensuality. Created during a prolific period when he explored bathers and reclining figures, this study highlights his innovative use of the medium to bridge printmaking and painting. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, this work invites visitors to appreciate Bonnard's subtle eroticism and emotional depth, reflecting early 20th-century French modernism's embrace of personal reverie amid rapid social change. A testament to his technical mastery, it remains a gem for print enthusiasts.

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...