Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The intimate domestic interiors of Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) are universally popular with art lovers. Less well known is his highly accomplished early work as an illustrator. His strongly coloured and boldly designed paintings of the 1890s, when he was associated with the Nabis group of painters, demonstrate his subtle energy and his acute sensitivity.

In this monumental reassessment of Bonnard's life and work, Nicholas Watkins sets forth in a refreshing and dextrously argued thesis that Bonnard was not a sentimental survivor of Impressionism as some have claimed, but a highly innovative artist, constantly responding to new formal challenges, and one of the twentieth century's greatest colourists. Paintings, graphic work, lithographs and sketches are reproduced and examined in depth, providing a definitive study of this foremost and highly influential artist. This volume comprises an up-to-date, original and significant interpretation of this artist's dynamic career, displaying Watkins' own eloquence and intellectual rigour as well as the sophistication and unusual aestheticism of Bonnard.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Watkins (Matisse, Oxford, 1985) argues for a reappraisal of Bonnard, not as the last of the Impressionists but as a formalist and decorative painter in the 20th century. Discussing his affiliation with Vuillard and the other Nabis, the author draws from the artist's work to demonstrate the influences of Gauguin, Japanese prints, and the later Degas. Withdrawing from the Paris of the 1890s into his own rich, personal, painterly iconography, Bonnard succeeded in creating intimate interiors, and his identification with his more analytical contemporary, Matisse, is apparent. Other French artists, such as Braque, whose style can be seen in some of Bonnard's still lifes, is not named, although the Cubists are mentioned as an interest. It does seem a bit stretched when Watkins implies that Bonnard influenced Monet. Overall, however, the book is well researched and contains many illustrations emphasizing Bonnard's deep involvement with color. An interesting contemporary view for art history scholars, this is recommended for academic collections.-Ellen Bates, New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Nicholas Watkins is Reader in the History of Art at the University of Leicester.