Antoine Terrasse, Paris (the artist's great-nephew)
Acquired from the above in the 1970s

From 1910 onwards, Bonnard spent an increasing amount of time along the Mediterranean coast of France, finally purchasing a villa near Le Cannet, "Le Bosquet". Fascinatᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤𝓡ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚed by the Mediterranean landscape, he spent much of his time capturing the port of Cannes. Strongly taken by the luminosity and the maritime atmosphere that engulfs this area, Bonnard explored the infinite variations of light, the progressive changes of volumes and contours, and experimented with varying proximities.

Bonnard gave the same amount of thought and attention to his works on paper as he did to his oil paintings. In this gouache, Bonnard emphasises the juxtaposition between the yacht masts and the horizon line. He transforms the port into a mosaic of colors: the blues become intense, the reds blazing, the oranges vibrant, and the yellows brilliant. In 1928, André Lhote commended the artist in an enthusiastic article, "A never ending innovative organisation of the canvas, in which the grimness is hidden under nonchalant appearances, as well as the sonorous and complicated colour harmonies" (André Lhote, La Revue Française, January 1, 1929).

Fig. I Pierre Bonnard, Port orageux or Le Port de Cannes, 1927, oil on canvas, Nati🤡onal Gallery of Canada, Ottawa