The Solfege 1917

Pierre Bonnard’s oil painting, ‘The Solfege,’ presents a woman immersed in a musical score. Her downward gaze is reminiscent of medieval depictions of Mary, often shown in contemplation or receiving divine messages. This motif echoes across centuries, symbolizing introspection and heightened receptivity. Consider the ‘Ecce Ancilla Domini’ by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, where Mary's posture conveys a similar state of contemplative acceptance. Yet, Bonnard’s subject is not divine, but human, her focus secular. Here, the act of reading music becomes a form of meditation, a gateway to another realm. The intense concentration manifests a powerful force that connects the individual to the universal language of music. Music, as a carrier of emotions, evokes a deep, subconscious response. As the woman deciphers the notes, she transcends reality, bridging the gap between the visible and the invisible. This cyclical interplay of the earthly and the transcendent, mirrors how symbols resurface, evolving and acquiring new meanings across different epochs.