Bunch of Mimosa 1945

Pierre Bonnard created this oil painting, Bunch of Mimosa, where it’s all about how he sees the world, not necessarily how it *is*. Check out how the yellow kind of vibrates, like the whole painting is buzzing with energy. You can almost feel the warmth of the sun on the mimosa blossoms. Bonnard wasn't trying to make a photo-realistic picture; he was trying to capture a feeling, a moment in time. The paint is dabbed on in these little strokes, like he’s building up the image bit by bit. And the way he uses color – the yellows, greens, and reds all bumping up against each other – it’s so alive! It's like he's inviting us to get lost in the sensory experience of being there, in that room, with those flowers. Think of someone like Vuillard, another painter who was all about the intimate, domestic scene, but Bonnard takes it to a whole other level of intensity. For Bonnard, painting was a way of thinking, feeling, and experiencing the world.