Bathing Woman, Seen from the Back c. 1919

Curator: Here we have Pierre Bonnard's intimate oil painting, Bathing Woman, Seen from the Back, part of the Tate collection. Editor: It's incredibly soft. The muted blues and ochres create a haze, blurring the figure’s outline. Curator: Bonnard often depicted domestic scenes, elevating the everyday. His wife, Marthe, was a frequent subject, often shown in the bath. This image reveals a great deal about how gender roles were defined in the late 19th century. Editor: The composition is interesting. The towel, or perhaps a robe, competes for space, almost mirroring the woman’s form in its verticality. The light and shadow at play create a unique tension. Curator: Bonnard’s paintings were exhibited extensively in Europe, and they offer insight into the growing culture of modernism. He received criticism for his intimate portrayal of women, which was very common at the time. Editor: It really does ask you to consider how visual elements converge to convey complex emotions, and that's quite interesting. Curator: Yes, I think that Bonnard asks us to consider this tension, and also his contribution to impressionism. Editor: I see Bonnard's legacy as a dance between form and feeling.