Artwork
Pierre Bonnard
Pierre Bonnard is an ink print by Odilon Redon. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1900, this lithographic print by Odilon Redon portrays the painter Pierre Bonnian d in a side profile. Executed on stone, the work captures a fleeting impression rather than a polished likeness, emphasizing gesture over detail.
Subject & Meaning
The image focuses on Bonnard’s head and shoulders, his face rendered in deep shadow against a lighter backdrop. A brimmed hat obscures the crown of his head, suggesting a casual, perhaps introspective moment, while the profile orientation invites contemplation of the artist’s identity.
Technique & Style
Redon employed the lithographic process, drawing directly onto a prepared stone surface with greasy media. The resulting lines are loose, smudged, and appear almost like rapid pencil sketches, giving the print a spontaneous, unfinished quality that contrasts with the precision of traditional portraiture.
History & Provenance
Produced at the turn of the twentieth century, the print reflects Redon’s interest in portraiture of contemporary artists. It entered private collections shortly after its creation and has since been documented in several catalogues of Redon’s graphic oeuvre.
Context
At the time of its making, both Redon and Bonnard were active in Paris’s avant‑garde circles. The work exemplifies the period’s experimental approach to printmaking, where artists explored lithography’s capacity for immediacy and tonal variation.
Legacy
Although not as widely reproduced as Redon’s symbolist paintings, this lithograph contributes to the understanding of his graphic practice and his network of artistic peers, offering insight into early twentieth‑century French art circles.
Artist & collection
Artist
Born Bertrand-Jean Redon on 20 April 1840 in Bordeaux, the artist adopted the name Odilon from his mother, Marie-Odile.
