Before Dinner
- Original dimensions
- 106.7 x 90.2 cm
- Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Year
- 1924
Scene depicted
In this painting , Bonnard depicts a suspended moment, just before the meal. The guests, delicately portrayed, seem to float in a serene atmosphere where colors merge in harmony. The play of light, capturing the reflections of a sunset, reveals a subtlety that makes the atmosphere almost palpable, like an ode to the beauty of the ordinary.
Historical context
Created in 1924, in New York, this iconic canvas is positioned at the heart of the post-impressionist movement. Bonnard's work, a maker of emotions, is nourished by an aesthetic vibrating with everyday sensations. Today, the painting , with its delicate glow, is found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art , testifying to its prominent place in the history of art.
Place in the artist's career
Before Dinner is at a major turning point in Bonnard's career, marking his bold style and radiant sincerity. Compared to his canvas "The Terrace at Vernon" and "Nude in the Bath," this work represents a culmination of his chromatic and emotional exploration, illustrating an increased sensitivity to light and space.
Anecdote
"The light of a dinner is a fleeting dance, a scent that fades," Bonnard might have declared one summer evening. This poetic vision, inspired by the dim lights of a friendly dinner, is captured with virtuosity in this masterpiece . The scene evokes an intimate moment, bathed in warm light, where every nuance of color vibrates with emotion.