Bonnard, Pierre (1867-1947)
Femme nue se baissant (Nude Bending Down)
1923
Oil on canvas, 57.1 × 52.7 cm
Tate Britain, London
A woman is glimpsed quietly wiping her leg. The informality of the pose suggests that the model has been caught unawares rather than posing for the painting. Pierre Bonnard was part of a group of French ‘intimiste’ painters, including Edouard Vuillard, who specialised in capturing everyday life in domestic spaces. Bonnard made many nude studies of his companion, Marthe (Maria Boursin), whom he often depicted bathing. Marthe took frequent baths, using water therapy as treatment for a tubercular condition. (Tate)
See also:
• Bonnard, Marthe (1869-1942)