The Garden 1937

Pierre Bonnard made this painting ‘The Garden’ with oil on canvas, and right away you can see how the looseness of his strokes makes the colours sing. It’s all about process, a real embrace of ‘letting go’ in the making. Check out the way Bonnard layers the paint – sometimes it’s thin and transparent, other times he builds up these thick, almost sculptural daubs. I love the scruffy energy here. I’m drawn to the scumbled ochre of the path, how it suggests a way into the unknown. Each mark is a decision, a feeling, an adventure. He reminds me a little of Vuillard, a kindred spirit, or maybe even Cy Twombly, but with a French accent! Bonnard's garden isn’t just a place; it's a feeling, a memory, a dream. And the beauty is, it can be whatever you want it to be.