The Musee Bonnard is a great and modern museum.  Situated in Le Cannet where Bonnard lived, it’s a lovely light and cool building that offers a welcome escape from the heat on a summer’s day. It holds a good permanent collection, and has recently made an agreement with the Musee d’Orsay in Paris to exchange pieces for exhibitions. That’s what makes the new exhibition there a great find – the paintings on display are a completely different set from the previous exhibition.
 
Sociable and friendly man, Bonnard naturally made close friendships with artists who, like him, were modernists.  In the museum dedicated to him, in Le Cannet, there’s a fine exhibition of fifty works of art looking at his friendship and professional ties organized into three themes.

The first part shows us the portraits by and of Bonnard and his fellow members of the Nabi movement. You can see here his portrait of Vuillard, and the one that Vuillard did of Felix Vallotton. Next comes the theme of Normandy where Bonnard bought a house at Le Vernonnet to be close to Monet who was in Giverny, and whom he so admired.  Finally the exhibition looks at paintings of views through windows. So many paintings by this group of artists used this theme and played with the way the window would frame the view, and offer opportunities to compare the interior and the outdoor.

With paintings by Monet, Matisse, and Vuillard, and with some of the original letters from Monet to Bonnard, this is a top quality exhibition to brighten the summer.

16 bd Sadi Carnot
06110 LE CANNET
Tel. 04.93.94.06.06

Exhibition runs from 20 May to 16 September: 10.00 AM to 8.00 PM

Open late on Thursdays to 9.00 PM

Closed on Mondays. Open every other day including 14 July and 15 August.

Admission 7 euros, reduced entries 5 euros.