Pierre Bonnard – Melbourne Exhibition – Part 1
A few months ago, Julie did a post about the life and art of Pierre Bonnard, in preparation for an exhibition that was coming to the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia (the NGV) in June 2023. Click on the bookmark link below to re-read that post.
Julie
Entitled 2023 Winter Masterpieces Exhibition: Pierre Bonnard designed by India Mahdavi, both Anne and Julie went to see this exhibition, and it was well worth the visit, not only to see so many of his wonderfully colourful paintings and photographs, but also because the design of the exhibition was an artwork in itself.
We will look at the design of the exhibition by India Mahdavi in some detail tomorrow. But today, we will look at how Pierre’s Bonnard’s works were displayed. They were set out in groups, or “themes,”- his outdoor paintings, his indoor (interior) paintings and portraits, his posters and lithographs, and his photography. He was always keen to embrace any new ideas or technology, and this was evident throughout the exhibition.
There was an incredible amount of information provided to allow the visitor to fully appreciate Bonnard’s motivations and life journey as well as a plaque beside each individual artwork with its name, date and description.
The following video by Julie shows you some of the works in each “category”.....
What do you think of his work? Whilst some of it may not be traditionally beautiful, he was a key figure in the transition from Impressionism to Modernism, and inspired many artists who followed on after him.
Tomorrow we will return to examine the setting for this wonderful exhibition........
Footnotes
With thanks to The National Gallery of Victoria, the NGV.