Pierre Bonnard

Pierre Bonnard studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and Académie Julian. There, he met Édouard Vuillard and Maurice Denis with whom he formed the Nabis ('The Prophets', 1892-1899). Under the leadership of Paul Sérusier this group painted according to Gauguin's theories on the symbolic representation of objects through strong patterns and colour. Several members of the group, including Bonnard, became fascinated by the formal simplicity and stylized patterns of Japanese art and sought to incorporate aspects of it into their compositions. Domestic interiors, particularly those focussing upon family mealtimes, were a constant source of inspiration to Bonnard, whose work is often described as 'Intimise' in style.