Pierre Bonnard was a French painter. He was born in 1867. The painter lived a long life and created a lot of works. He traveled a lot and had a number of exhibitions. The Breakfast Room is one of his most known paintings. It was created in 1930-1931. The painting is now a part of the collection of the MoMA. As for the medium, this is oil on canvas. The picture is quite big (62 7/8 x 44 7/8”).
The picture shows a room with a dining table. The room has a large window with a view over a garden. There is some food on the table. It is also possible to see a woman on the left. However, the figure of the woman is somewhat ‘transparent’ and it does not catch the viewer’s eye at once. The painter uses bright colors: green, purple, white, yellow.
Pierre Bonnard is famous for his use of light and bright colors. He was one of those who tried to show the bright side of the world. The painter is also famous for his styles, Intimism. His paintings are characterized by simple scenes from ordinary life. It is possible to note that the painter revealed routine of people’s lives. The painter uses techniques of impressionism and primitivism.
The Breakfast Room is one of such works. It shows a dining room of an ordinary house. There are thousands of such houses. However, the painter manages to show the beauty of such an ordinary thing as a morning in a house with a garden. He uses bright colors. These colors help to create the atmosphere of a sunny morning and its joys. The beautiful garden makes the viewer feel the beauty of a simple life people have.
Bright green colors create an atmosphere of natural beauty and ‘freshness’. The viewer can feel the pleasant freshness at the beginning of a day. The food on the table is also quite simple. It is clear that it is an ordinary breakfast of an ordinary family. It is also interesting to focus on the figure on the left. The woman is invisible at first. However, when the viewer examines the picture carefully, he/she sees the woman.
The painter uses grey and brown to paint the woman. These colors make her almost invisible as the background is purple. This is one of the most remarkable things about the painting. Pierre Bonnard is also famous for his desire to put some ‘hidden’ objects into the painting. It is known that his wife did not like being in the spotlight. She wished to be unnoticed wherever they went. Thus, it is thought that the painter depicted his wife in this picture.
As for me, this is the most interesting thing about the picture. I think this is a great way to express an important idea. Perhaps, the painter wanted to stress that his wife was very shy. This could be one of the features the painter loved most. As for the overall impression, I cannot say I like this work.
I think it is too simplistic. I do not see a realistic representation of things. I cannot find any interesting or unusual techniques. Of course, I am not an expert, but I think I could paint the same painting. Therefore, I do not think the painting is that good.