Le Bain 1923

Pierre Bonnard made this lithograph called 'Le Bain' at an undetermined date, and now it hangs in the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Look at the marks he made, the rapid hatching and cross-hatching, to build this figure in the tub out of tone. I imagine him in the studio, leaning in close to the lithographic stone. I feel like Bonnard is in my head when I look at this print. I imagine him thinking: how can a solid mass of stone be used to create this intimate moment? The interior of the tub becomes a solid block through the density of line. But then the figure itself is more gently suggested, with a lighter touch to render the softness of skin. There's a sense of unease, or perhaps a private meditation here. Bonnard leaves us to wonder about the nature of what it means to exist, to be alone, and to feel. It reminds me of work by other artists who have focused on similar themes, like Paula Modersohn-Becker. We are all in conversation with each other, trying to make sense of the world.