Pitcher 1931

Curator: Pierre Bonnard’s "Pitcher," created in 1931. It exudes a soft, dreamlike quality. The colours feel muted. What are your first impressions? Editor: The impasto technique draws me in. The thick application of paint makes the whole scene almost tactile, emphasizing the materiality of the artwork. The painting displays an interest in capturing fleeting, domestic moments, rendered here in textured layers of oil. Curator: Bonnard was, after all, part of the Intimist movement. These artists celebrated everyday, intimate scenes within the domestic sphere, which can be deeply influenced by patriarchal social standards. It is difficult to talk about domesticity without discussing gender roles. Editor: Yes, and I see how Bonnard’s artistic choices reinforce certain power structures. The rough texture implies the labour and process inherent to its making; a kind of physical expression of craft. The way the flowers are haphazardly arranged—that choice feels crucial too. Are they store-bought or foraged? And who is arranging them? Curator: Right, those considerations absolutely bring more substance to it! What kind of value systems does that imply when domestic floral arrangements might reflect cultural attitudes regarding gendered spaces? What kinds of materials and products were affordable at the time to specific people? These things matter, but, more directly, what do you suppose Bonnard's message was to viewers at the time? Editor: I wonder, with all that expressive paint, whether the painting aims to reveal the tangible, worked surface more than it wants to create some mimetic illusion. In focusing our attention on the texture, we see the means of production upfront, so we are perhaps meant to recognize art as labour itself. Curator: In seeing labour we may gain an elevated appreciation, but also remain cognizant of all other types of invisible labour. This connects the artist’s intimate life and artwork, along with those viewers immersed within contemporary cultural frameworks. Food for thought, no? Editor: Definitely, examining both production and intention through their materiality can definitely uncover various perspectives!