Sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 2nd April 1928, lot 3
Acquired by the present owner by the 1960s

Paris, Maison de la Pensée Française, Pierre Bonnard, 1955, no. 12

Jean & Henry Dauberville, Bonnard Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint, 1888-1905, Paris, 1992, vol. I , no. 196, illustrated p. 211

The canvas is not lined. There is a small pinhole with associated paint loss towards the centre of the lower edge. There is a small area of retouching to the upper right corner, three minor spots to the upper edge and a tiny spot of retouching to the lower right corner. All retouching is visible under UV light. This work is in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Throughout his life, Bonnard returned to the coun🅺tryside both as a subject for his art and a place of leisure. The present work d🙈epicts two women and a child in an orchard set in a lush landscape, painted at the height of Bonnard's Nabis period. While studying painting at the Académie Julian in Paris, he had met fellow artists Paul Sérusier, Maurice Denis, and Paul Ranson, all of whom would become central figures of the Nabis movement alongside their master, Paul Gauguin.

The Nabis were characterised by a strong interest in painting en plein air  as well as a stylistic tendency towards bold patterning of surface and brightness of palette. By the time Le Verger was painted, the artist had developed a mature and singular style which was informed by the strong influence that Gauguin had over the Nabis. As Sarah Whitfield writes, 'Bonnard makes us aware that the principal subject for the painter must be the surface which, as he says, 'has its colour, its laws over and above those of objects'' (Sarah Whitfield & John Elderfield, Bonnard (exhibition catalogue), Tate Gallery, London, 1998, p. 15). These characteristics are apparent in the present work: the vivid blocks of colour that depict a tranquil outdoor scene demonstrate both the powerful effect of Bonnard's palette and the delicate, quick brushstrokes of plein air painting.