Pierre Bonnard
Breakfast in the Garden
1915
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Pierre Bonnard
Breakfast in the Garden
1915
Physical Qualities
Oil on canvas, 19 1/4 x 16 1/4 in. (48.9 x 41.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Saidie A. May
Object Number
1951.269
1. Both a graphic artist and a painter, Bonnard was a founding member of the Nabis, a group of innovative young men who, during the 1890s, rejected Impressionism, and took their inspiration from the art of Paul Gauguin and from Japanese prints. Central to the movement was a highly decorative use of expressive line, form, and planes of color that were also meant to evoke an emotional or spiritual response in the viewer.
Many of Bonnard's vibrant compositions focus on domestic settings which often feature still lifes. Here, a boldly colored checkered tablecloth forms the lively background for an arrangement of breakfast items. Beyond the table, a small cluster of greenery suggests a garden and to the right, a woman, partly in shadow, presides over the repast.
2. In this sun filled scene, Bonnard gives the viewer a glimpse into
his life. His wife, Marthe, sits at a table surrounded by the makings
of a morning meal. Bonnard has chosen to keep her features
somewhat undefined, focusing more of his attention on the
checkered tablecloth and the items on the table, all clearly visible
due to the artist’s very high point of view. Bright light infuses
the scene with optimism.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by bequest, 1951; The Baltimore Museum of Art on extended loan, 1931-1951; Saidie A. May, by purchase 1931; from Galerie Paquereau, Paris
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "A Century of Baltimore Collecting", June 6 -September 1,1941.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Still Life and Flower Paintings", November 2-December 9, 1945.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, "Bonnard", 1948.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Saidie A. May Collection of Modern Paintings and Sculpture", March 17-April 16, 1950, cat.4.
Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, OH, "20th Century French Masters", December 1952 - circulated to Akron Museum, and Worcester Art Museum, MA, through April 1953.
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, MD, "Selections from the May Collection", September 27-October 31, 1957.
Santa Barbara Museum of Fine Arts, CA, "Fruits and Flowers in Painting", August 11- September 14, 1958.
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT, "Harvest of Plenty", October 24-December 1, 1963.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Saidie A. May Collection", September 6-November 22, 1972.
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford CT, "Impressionism to Surrealism From the Baltimore Museum of Art. Selections from the Collections of Claribel and Etta Cone, Saidie Adler May, and Blanche Adler", February 8-April 21, 2002, no. 1 pp. 14 ill.
Sona Johnston, BMA organized, "The Art of Still Life from The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to The Academy Art Museum, Easton, August 3-October 6, 2007; and Mitchell Gallery, St. John's College, Annapolis, August 25, 2010-October 10, 2010.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Still Life and Flower Paintings", November 2-December 9, 1945.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, "Bonnard", 1948.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "The Saidie A. May Collection of Modern Paintings and Sculpture", March 17-April 16, 1950, cat.4.
Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, OH, "20th Century French Masters", December 1952 - circulated to Akron Museum, and Worcester Art Museum, MA, through April 1953.
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, MD, "Selections from the May Collection", September 27-October 31, 1957.
Santa Barbara Museum of Fine Arts, CA, "Fruits and Flowers in Painting", August 11- September 14, 1958.
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT, "Harvest of Plenty", October 24-December 1, 1963.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Saidie A. May Collection", September 6-November 22, 1972.
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford CT, "Impressionism to Surrealism From the Baltimore Museum of Art. Selections from the Collections of Claribel and Etta Cone, Saidie Adler May, and Blanche Adler", February 8-April 21, 2002, no. 1 pp. 14 ill.
Sona Johnston, BMA organized, "The Art of Still Life from The Baltimore Museum of Art", circulated to The Academy Art Museum, Easton, August 3-October 6, 2007; and Mitchell Gallery, St. John's College, Annapolis, August 25, 2010-October 10, 2010.
Jean and Henry Dauberville, "Bonnard Catalogue Raisonne de L'Oeuvre Peint, 1906-1919" vol II, Paris: Bernheim-Jeune, 1966, no. 877, p. 392.
The Baltimore Museum of Art News, "Catalogue of the Saidie A. May Collection of Modern Paintings and Sculpture," March, 1950, cat. 4, p. 9.
Inscribed: Signed, recto, lower left corner, "Bonnard"
