The White Cupboard

Primary colors (red, yellow, blue) and simple vertical and horizontal lines create this quiet domestic scene. Seen from the back, Pierre Bonnard's wife, Marthe, arranges tableware in the cupboard. By composing the image as he did, Bonnard invited the viewer into his home and offered a place at his table. This sense of intimacy and warmth is characteristic of his work. Bonnard, a former attorney, painted with feeling and from memory, rather than seeking to reproduce faithfully what he saw.

Gift of Henry W. and Marion H. Bloch