Bonnard Et Le Japon

Exhibition at the Hôtel de Caumont-Centre d'art, Aix-en-Provence, 3 May - 6 October 2024

From the 1860s onwards, and for almost half a century afterwards, France and England became infatuated with all things Japanese, particularly through Japan's first participation in the Universal Exhibition of 1867. Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) took a very early interest in the characteristics of Ukiyo-e prints, "images of the floating world", and from then on turned away from the representation of reality, adopting new aesthetic principles such as supple movement, contrasting colours, arabesque lines, a strong taste for decoration and stylised elements, and the flattening of space.

Through a selection of prints by great Japanese masters from the prestigious Leskowicz collection, set against paintings, drawings, posters, engravings and photographs by Bonnard, this exhibition catalogue illustrates the connections between the art of the Land of the Rising Sun and the creation of the "very Japanese Nabi". The book shows how Bonnard integrated the aesthetics of Japanese art to create works that broke with naturalism and impressionism.