This portrait of Ambroise Vollard reveals the intimacy of the celebrated art dealer in his familiar environment. Bonnard depicts Vollard seated in a characteristic posture, with rounded shoulders and head slightly tilted, holding a small tabby cat on his lap.
The artist subtly captures the legendary drowsiness of his subject. The pictorial space bears witness to Vollard’s collecting activity: the walls are saturated with artworks, notably the portrait of Alfred Hauge by Cézanne visible on the left near the fireplace, and Renoir’s Reclining Women on the back wall. Bonnard’s chromatic palette favors warm tones—ochres, browns, and pinks—that unify the composition and create a muffled atmosphere. The presence of the cat constitutes a delightful narrative element: Bonnard had deliberately introduced it to keep his model awake during the posing sessions.
Further information
- Portrait of Ambroise Vollard with Cat, by Pierre Bonnard, circa 1924
- 96.5 x 111 cm
- Paris Musées, Petit Palais, Fine Arts Museum of the City of Paris
- https://www.parismuseescollections.paris.fr/fr/petit-palais/oeuvres/portrait-d-ambroise-vollard-au-chat
Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) ranks among the masters of modern French art and remains one of the most refined colorists of his era. A founding member of the Nabis group alongside Maurice Denis and Édouard Vuillard, he developed a unique style blending intimism with pictorial innovation. Nicknamed the “very Japanese Nabi” for his taste for bold framings inspired by Japanese prints, Bonnard revolutionized the art of portraiture and genre scenes. His technique, characterized by free brushwork and subtle impasto, evolved toward increasingly luminous and sensual painting. A master of pure color, he explored light effects in interiors and Mediterranean landscapes. A talented portraitist, he captured with remarkable psychological acuity the essence of his models, as evidenced by this memorable representation of Ambroise Vollard, a tutelary figure of the modern art market.
