"Bonnard and Japan" exhibition at the Hôtel de Caumont - Centre d'Art

This summer, the Hôtel de Caumont - Centre d'Art invites you to dive into the world of Pierre Bonnard and discover the profound influence of Japanese art on his works. From 30 April to 6 October 2024, the exhibition "Bonnard and Japan" highlights the stylistic affinities between the French master and Japanese aesthetics.

A first exhibition devoted to the Japanese influence

This first exhibition devoted to the influence of Japanese art on Pierre Bonnard reveals how the artist, nicknamed the "very Japanese Nabi" ("Nabi très Japonard"), integrated Japanese stylistic elements into his treatment of space, time and movement. Visitors can admire his works alongside Japanese prints, underscoring the formal correspondences and affinities that inspired Bonnard to break with naturalism and Impressionism.

Pierre Bonnard, an artist inspired by Japan

At the end of the 19th century, the Nabis group, of which Pierre Bonnard was a member, took a deep interest in artistic modernity. Bonnard, who divided his life between the Paris region, Normandy, the Isère and the Côte d'Azur, found in the diversity of landscapes and light an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Yet it was Japanese aesthetics, discovered at the exhibition of prints at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1890, that marked a decisive turning point in his art.

Bonnard drew inspiration from Ukiyo-e, meaning "pictures of the floating world", and adopted aesthetic principles such as the suppleness of movement, contrasting colours, arabesque lines and the flattening of space. The detachment from illusionism found in Japanese works gave him great freedom in constructing his images, where several spaces and temporalities coexist. The vividness of tones, characteristic of Japanese prints, found a particular echo in his work: colour became a means of expressing light, form and character without resorting to relief or modelling.

A dynamic exhibition design

The exhibition presents Bonnard's works — paintings, drawings, posters and engravings — alongside Japanese prints from the prestigious Leskowicz collection. The dynamic exhibition design shows how artists distant in time and space can share similar aesthetic questions and express closely related ideas and emotions. Visitors thus come to understand how Japan steered Bonnard towards an exploration of colour, light, the fleeting moment and transient feelings.

Sycomore's audio guides in the service of the visit

To offer a deeper understanding of this influence, Sycomore supplied audio guides and produced content in French and English. With these tools, visitors explore the exhibition in an interactive and immersive way, discovering the nuances of Japanese aesthetics in Bonnard's works.

Don't miss this exceptional exhibition, which offers a fresh perspective on the genius of Pierre Bonnard and his deep connection with Japanese art. See you at the Hôtel de Caumont - Centre d'Art until 6 October 2024.