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Pierre Bonnard – The “prophet” of Post-Impressionism
Pierre Bonnard was the leader of a group of Post-Impressionist painters who called themselves the Nabis, from the Hebrew word meaning “prophet”. Bonnard, Vuillard, Roussel and Denis, the most distinguished of the Nabis, revolutionised decorative painting during one of the richest periods in the history of French painting.
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Bonnard and the Nabis – The painting of rebellious Post-Impressionist artist
Pierre Bonnard was the leader of a group of post-impressionist painters who called themselves the Nabis, from the Hebrew word meaning ‘prophet’. Bonnard, Vuillard, Roussel and Denis, the most distinguished of the Nabis, revolutionized the spirit of decorative techniques during one of the richest periods in the history of French painting.
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Etch a Sketch
Raphael undoubtedly played a role in Renaissance art. One cannot think of that era without thinking of the beautiful Madonnas and little, fat cherubs done by Raphael. His talent, however, goes beyond that of painter, as he played a significant role in the development of reproductive print. Although Raphael never produced any prints himself, he created many drawings for the sole purpose of being engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi. Together, Raphael and Raimondi created some of the most famous Italian prints of the century and gave rise to print publishing in Rome. Just as the Gutenberg Press made printed word available to the general audience, through easily and affordable reproduction, the…
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The Pleasures of Shunga
Tea ceremonies, bullet trains arriving to the exact second, intricately dressed, immaculate geisha and the importance of keeping face: these common images of Japan conjure up the notion of a highly-controlled and conservative society. Graphic images of enormous penises and a woman being pleasured by an octopus are not, perhaps, what you might expect. And indeed for the last century and a half the explicit art of shunga, or ‘spring pictures’ has been taboo in Japan- yet this only came about once the country began to absorb Western cultural influences. Before the late-19th century, the Japanese did not share the dominant Western idea that fine art and pornography were very…
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Doodling with Picasso
The British Museum has managed to wheedle the donation of all one-hundred of Picasso’s etchings which make up the Vollard Suite – no, not the name of a room in a curiously themed hotel, but a massive series of prints created in exchange for a couple of paintings, including two by Cézanne and Renoir. The critics are clambering all over each other to fawn, simper and gush about the prints and to offer their unsolicited opinions about what the lines and shading could possibly mean, squabbling like children over who can kiss the most arse. I agree that the series does reveal the inner workings of the mind of the…
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