Nude Washing Feet in a Bathtub 1924

Pierre Bonnard made "Nude Washing Feet in a Bathtub" with oil on canvas. It's not about the subject, a woman in the tub, but the making visible of the process of looking, by way of brushstrokes and colour. Bonnard uses gentle, broken brushstrokes to build up the layers of colour, like a mosaic that captures the light. The surface is alive with these little marks. Look closely at the water. It is an arrangement of dark greens and blues, with hints of purple, creating a deep and mysterious space. The tile work behind the figure gives the impression of being unfinished, as if the artist has captured a fleeting moment. I see echoes of Degas's intimate scenes of women, yet Bonnard’s approach feels less like observation and more like a meditation on colour and light. This picture embodies the idea that art is about the perpetual questioning and re-seeing of the world around us.