Workshop with mimosa

Workshop with mimosa - one of the last works of Pierre Bonnard. "Our God is light. Someday you will understand what that means ", He wrote in a letter to the beginning artist. The color of his later works becomes especially warm, golden. Especially the artist favors yellow. In the picture "Workshop with mimosa" we get to the workshop of Bonnard himself. But instead of brushes and canvases, he shows us the sources of his inspiration: nature, rushing into the shop window and seemingly filling the whole room, and - in the lower left corner of the ghost of his wife Martha. Bonnard is a master of closed interiors; in the majority of cases, Martu wrote, as it were, "in the casket" at home. She suffered from fear of open space. But here, inviting the viewer to his studio, he does not share an intimate interior and street elements. On the contrary, the "main character" of the picture is just a sunny landscape. It seems that his brush has acquired a special freedom, as if going beyond the closed interior. Bonnard opened the window to the world, and the mimosaes, illuminated by the sun, burst into his workshop.

To better understand this picture, it should be borne in mind that during that time, Pierre Bonnard's life had completely changed. Work on the "Workshop with mimosa", he began in Cannes, in 1939-m. There, in the suburbs, he bought a house, hoping that a warm climate would have a beneficial effect on Martha's health. There they remained for the time of the German occupation. During these years Bonnard lost his close friends: in 1940 he died Edouard Vuillard, and in 1943 - Maurice Denis. And the most terrible thing - in 1942 Martha did not become a wife and a beloved model. She suffered from a mental disorder, and the last few years have been very difficult for both of them. But without it, the world seemed to be empty. In these years he wrote ruthless self-portraits, which depicts himself withered, sick, lost the meaning and hope of the old man (1, 2). But that's surprising - these decadent moods were destined to be replaced by others. Last years Bonnard spent on the estate on the Cote d'Azur in the company of his niece. He did not live very long until 80 years. His brush at the end of life seemed to start to emanate light. Bonnard said that only now he understood everything and would like to start again. His recent works, including "The Mimosa Workshop," are struck by a sudden burst of energy, brightness and, apparently, a sense of immortal youth.

Author: Alain Esaulova