id: 154284 accession number: 1988.92 share license status: Copyrighted url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1988.92 updated: 2025-02-09 04:32:51.757000 Boulevard Exelmans, Paris, 1925. Pierre Bonnard (French, 1867–1947). Oil on fabric; unframed: 42.2 x 52.1 cm (16 5/8 x 20 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Mildred Andrews Fund 1988.92 © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York title: Boulevard Exelmans, Paris title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1925 creation date earliest: 1925 creation date latest: 1925 current location: creditline: Gift of the Mildred Andrews Fund copyright: © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York --- culture: France, 20th century technique: oil on fabric department: Modern European Painting and Sculpture collection: Mod Euro - Painting 1800-1960 type: Painting find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS * Pierre Bonnard (French, 1867–1947) - artist Pierre Bonnard was a law student when he began his artistic training in 1887 at the Académie Julian in Paris, where he met Paul Sérusier (1864-1927) and the theorist and painter Maurice Denis (1870-1943). Both would be influential in his artistic career and become Bonnard's lifelong friends. In 1889, the year he obtained his law degree, he saw the exhibition at Café Volpini (see Gauguin, Woman in the Waves, no. 100) and was particularly impressed with Gauguin's work. Sérusier, after having returned from studying with Gauguin in Pont-Aven, decided to form his own artistic group called the Nabis (Hebrew: prophets). The founding members of the Nabis included Denis, who wrote the manifesto for the group, "Définition du néo-traditionnisme" (published in May 1890 in Art et critique), Bonnard, Paul Ranson (1864-1909), and Henri-Gabriel Ibels (1867-1936). Their first exhibition occurred in 1891, and they were later joined by Ker-Xavier Roussel (1867-1944) and Vuillard (q.v.). Based loosely on the synthetist goals established by Gauguin and Émile Bernard, the movement was created from Sérusier's vision of an artistic brotherhood dedicated to symbolism whereby a universal language could be expressed through symbols. The Nabis were opposed to the naturalism taught at academies by artists such as Bouguereau (q.v.) and wanted to move away from didactic and moral paintings toward a more decorative style characterized by simplified drawing, flat patches of color, and heavy set contours. Bonnard's works of the 1890s were influenced by the innovations of Gauguin as well as Japanese prints, which were easily accessible in nineteenth-century Paris. His paintings took on a decorative quality, mirroring his artistic expressions in other media such as stained glass, furniture, pottery, and painted screens. Bonnard's and Vuillard's domestic interior paintings of the 1890s were often described using the term intimisme. In 1891 Bonnard also experimented with other media, including poster designs and lithographs, which inspired his friend Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), whom he had met through La revue blanche, a magazine that published the Nabis' work. Around 1900 the members of the Nabis began to drift apart. Between 1905 and 1910 Bonnard and Vuillard traveled to England, Belgium, Holland, Spain, and Italy, visiting many museums. Bonnard's art began to gravitate toward impressionism, but his colors were more expressive and his compositions more overtly structured; elements of the painted interiors such as doors, windows or pieces of furniture often provided a strong compositional framework. He also worked extensively with photographs. His late works were acclaimed by fellow Parisians like Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Paul Signac (1863-1935). After 1920 Bonnard exhibited extensively and became an internationally renowned artist, receiving much recognition in the United States, where he traveled in 1926. --- measurements: Unframed: 42.2 x 52.1 cm (16 5/8 x 20 1/2 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: inscription: Signed in black paint lower right corner: bonnard translation: remark: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: The Year in Review for 1988 opening date: 1989-03-01T05:00:00 The Year in Review for 1988. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 1-May 14, 1989). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE (Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, sold to Madame Faure) date: 1925 footnotes: *
Bernheim-Jeune purchased the painting directly from Bonnard.
citations: Madame Faure, Paris date: After 1925 footnotes: *
The source for Madame Faure’s ownership is the Bonnard catalogue raisonné by Jean and Henry Dauberville, published by Bernheim-Jeune.  Details of her identity are unknown, but possible candidates include the wife of Jean-Baptiste Faure, a collector of Impressionist works; a Madame J. Faure, who lent a Guigou painting to an exhibition at Galerie Daber in 1939, and who may or may not be the wife of Jean-Baptiste Faure; or Madame Charles Faure, who gave a Seignemartin painting to the Musée du Luxembourg in 1905 (currently in the Musée d’Orsay).
citations: (Roland Balay, Paris, sold one-half share to Knoedler & Co.) date: Until 1949 footnotes: *
The Bonnard catalogue raisonné and Knoedler stock book and inventory card indicate that prior to Knoedler & Co., the painting was with Roland Balay, the grandson of Michael Knoedle
citations: (Knoedler & Co. New York, and Carstairs Gallery (Roland Balay and Georges Keller), New York, sold to Jack F. Chrysler date: 1949-1951 footnotes: *
Balay appears to have sold one-half share of the Bonnard (stock no. A4209) to Knoedler & Co. on May 31, 1949, while retaining partial ownership in his capacity as owner, along with Georges Keller, of Carstairs Gallery, an offshoot of Knoedler.  Knoedler and Balay jointly sold the painting to Chrysler on April 27, 1951.
citations: Jack F. Chrysler, New York, sold to Knoedler & Co. date: 1951 footnotes: *
Chrysler owned the Bonnard only briefly, from April 27, 1951 until he returned the painting to Knoedler on December 4 of that same year.  
citations: (Knoedler & Co., New York, sold to Adele Lehman) date: 1952 footnotes: citations: Adele Lehman, New York, sold to Knoedler & Co. date: 1952-1963 footnotes: *
The Knoedler inventory cards at the Getty Research Institute show that Knoedler sold the Bonnard (inventory no. A4747) to Mrs. Arthur (Adele) Lehman on January 19, 1952.  She then sold the painting back to Knoedler on February 12, 1963.   
citations: (Knoedler & Co., New York, sold to Mildred Olive Andrews Putnam) date: 1963 footnotes: citations: Mildred Olive Andrews Putnam [1890-1984], Cleveland, OH, held in trust by her estate and then given to the Cleveland Museum of Art date: 1963-1984 footnotes: *
Putnam purchased the painting from Knoedler on May 17, 1963 (inventory no. A8467).  
citations: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH date: 1988- footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS Dauberville, Jean, and Henry Dauberville. Bonnard, catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint. Paris: J. et H. Bernheim, 1966. page number: url: Dauberville, Jean, and Henry Dauberville. Bonnard, catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint. Paris: J. et H. Bernheim, 1966. page number: url: Dauberville, Jean, and Henry Dauberville. Bonnard, catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint. Paris: J. et H. Bernheim, 1966. page number: url: Knoedler Book 9, Stock No. A4209, Page 191, Row 42, http://archives.getty.edu:30008/getty_images/digitalresources/goupil/jpgs/gri_2012_m_54_b9_227.jpg, Dealer Stock Books, Getty Research Institute. page number: url: Knoedler Book 9, Stock No. A4209, Page 191, Row 42, http://archives.getty.edu:30008/getty_images/digitalresources/goupil/jpgs/gri_2012_m_54_b9_227.jpg, Dealer Stock Books, Getty Research Institute. page number: url: Dauberville, Jean, and Henry Dauberville. Bonnard, catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint. Paris: J. et H. Bernheim, 1966. page number: url: Pierre Bonnard, Series IV Inventory Cards, M. Knoedler & Co. records, box 134, Getty Research Institute. page number: url: Dauberville, Jean, and Henry Dauberville. Bonnard, catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint. Paris: J. et H. Bernheim, 1966. page number: url: Pierre Bonnard, Series IV Inventory Cards, M. Knoedler & Co. records, box 134, Getty Research Institute. page number: url: Pierre Bonnard, Series IV Inventory Cards, M. Knoedler & Co. records, box 146, Getty Research Institute. page number: url: Pierre Bonnard, Series IV Inventory Cards, M. Knoedler & Co. records, box 146, Getty Research Institute. page number: url: Pierre Bonnard, Series IV Inventory Cards, M. Knoedler & Co. records, box 146, Getty Research Institute. page number: url: “The Year in Review for 1988.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 76, no. 2 (February 1989): 30–75. page number: Mentioned: p. 69, no. 31 url: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25160061 Argencourt, Louise d', and Roger Diederen. Catalogue of Paintings. Pt. 4. European Paintings of the 19th Century. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1974. page number: Mentioned and reproduced: P. 20-21, Vol. I, no. 7 url: --- IMAGES