For Immediate Release

An Exhibition Drawings by Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) June 22 - September 4, 1998 Wildenstein is pleased to present an exhibition of over 80 drawings by Pierre Bonnard from June 22nd through October 10th. Featuring works on paper from the estate of the artist, the show includes drawings ranging in date from 1895 to 1945. This will be the first time that most of these drawings have been on public view. In contrast to his oil paintings and prints which have been fully catalogued, Bonnard's drawings have remained largely unknown. The exhibition follows two important shows of works by Bonnard that have been mounted by Wildenstein: "The Inquiring Eye of Pierre Bonnard," a retrospective of 56 oils that took place in 1981, and "Pierre Bonnard - Master of Color: Works on Paper," a show of over 50 watercolors and pastels that was held in 1996. Pierre Bonnard was born in 1867 at Fontenay-aux-Roses, a suburb south of Paris. He studied art at the prestigious Académie Julian and was accepted at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in 1888. During this period he frequented Parisian avant-garde circles and became acquainted with Maurice Denis, Ker-Xavier Roussel, Felix Valloton and Edouard Vuillard, who was to become his lifelong friend. In 1892 Bonnard, along with these painters, formed the "Nabis," a group of artists who supported Paul Gauguin's expressive use of color and rhythmic pattern. Bonnard's style gradually evolved, and by the 1920s he had transcended Impressionism, producing works with a distinctive decorative richness. Included in the exhibition are works from the artist's graphic oevre that reflect Bonnard's keen interest in the details and pleasures of Parisian daily life, his ironic observations about the human comedy, his delight in the human figure and his fondness for the Mediterranean landscape of the Côte d'Azur. Also on view are a number of preparatory sketches for book illustrations, such as those the artist provided for André Gide's Le Prométhée mal enchaîné, published in 1909, and a charming group of sketches Bonnard produced for a collection of children's stories entitled Histoire du Poisson Scie et du Poisson Marteau, written by his friend Léopold Chauveau in 1923. The exhibition is open Monday through Friday from 10AM to 5PM, and Saturday beginning September 26th. Admission is free of charge. No catalogue has been published for the show.