Boating
1897
Medium
lithograph in green, blue, yellow, and brown-violet
Dimensions
sheet: 42.7 x 57 cm (16 13/16 x 22 7/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1950.16.8
Art Historical Context
Pierre Bonnard's *Boating* (1897) captures the leisurely joys of a summer day on the water, rendered in a vibrant lithograph using greens, blues, yellows, and brown-violets. This color print, measuring 42.7 x 57 cm, exemplifies Bonnard's early mastery of lithography during his association with Les Nabis, a group of French artists who emphasized decorative patterns, bold colors, and flattened forms inspired by Japanese prints and Symbolism. At just 30 years old, Bonnard was transitioning from his Nabi phase toward the intimate domestic scenes that would define his later Intimist style. Created...
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...