The exit of the bath 1930

Pierre Bonnard painted this intimate scene, The Exit of the Bath, with oil on canvas. Bonnard built up the image through countless small strokes of paint, almost like a mosaic, creating a surface alive with optical vibration. The choice of oil paint, traditionally associated with fine art, is interesting here. Bonnard applies it with a light touch, quite different from the heavy impasto you might see in a more conventional academic painting. The soft hues and blurry edges give the scene an ephemeral, dreamlike quality. This wasn't just a depiction of everyday life, but also a meditation on color, light, and the act of seeing itself. Bonnard was associated with the Nabis, a group of artists interested in blurring the boundaries between art and life. The painting’s focus on the mundane, and its decorative surface, shows a connection with craft traditions. Bonnard elevates the everyday to the level of high art, inviting us to reconsider the value we place on both.