Théâtre de l'Œuvre, for the Playbill of "L'Inspecteur Gèneral Revizor" (The Inspector General) by Nicolai Gogol
1897-1898
Medium
lithograph
Dimensions
image: 3.4 x 3.4 cm (1 5/16 x 1 5/16 in.) sheet: 17.4 x 23.2 cm (6 7/8 x 9 1/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Virginia and Ira Jackson Collection
Accession Number
2005.157.2
Art Historical Context
Pierre Bonnard's *Théâtre de l'Œuvre, for thebill of "L'eur Général Revizor" (The Inspector) by Nicolai Gogol (1897–1898) is a delicate lithograph that captures the artist's early flair for decorative design. Created when Bonnard was in his late twenties, this tiny image—measuring just 3.4 x 3.4 cm—served as a vignette for the playbill of a production at Paris's avant-garde Théâtre de l'Œuvre. As a member of the Nabi group, Bonnard drew inspiration from Japanese prints and Symbolism, blending flat patterns, vibrant colors, and intimate scenes in his prints, which were a staple of fin-de-siècle...
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...