PIERRE BONNARD AND THE BELLE EPOQUE

Not terribly unlike the situation for daring artists today, attempting to garner a critical mass of enthusiasts from out of a populace rabid for dubious sensations, Pierre Bonnard found himself on a slippery slope.

The metier of poster design, the rise of which coincided with his early career, elicited from his lithographic presses vignettes confirming the powers of quiet moments, but augmented by instances of social upheaval and conflict. Here a young woman devours (with a level of nourishment pervading the whole graphic touch of the print) the newspaper being promoted, evoking stern disapproval from the stodgy defender of the status quo.

Another advanced Mademoiselle, and another male jerk. The color sensibility of this work—one of the greatest early French posters—is a triumph of communicating rich and exciting energies welling through an affluent and sophisticated City of Light.

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