Housed in the Saint-Vianney hotel in Le Cannet, the Bonnard Museum is the first museum in the world dedicated to the artist who was nicknamed “le nabi très japonard” (the ultra-Japanese Nabi) and then ” le peintre du bonheur” (the painter of happiness). Pierre Bonnard, a solitary painter, but also a sculptor, illustrator, engraver and lithographer spent the last 20 years of his life in Le Cannet in his house in Le Bosquet. The Bonnard Museum, located near the house, will make you discover the universe and the sources of inspiration of the artist.
Pierre Bonnard in Le Cannet
In 1904, Pierre Bonnard discovered the French Riviera in Nice and Saint-Tropez and after several years and many stays in southern France he decided, around 1920, to move in Le Cannet. As a solitary artist in search of tranquility, he was charmed by the district of La Colle and Le Bosquet where he first rented three villas. His new life in Le Cannet allowed him to maintain his friendly and artistic relationship with the painter Henri Matisse who was already living in Nice. In 1926, Bonnard finally bought Le Bosquet, the house in which he would spend the last years of his life. After some work, he officially moved in in 1927, but it was only after a few trips around the country and the declaration of the Second World War that the painter withdrew to Le Bosquet for good.
The artist painted a total of nearly 300 works in Le Cannet and Le Bosquet was one of his sources of inspiration, particularly for his works representing the decorations and interior of his home.
The genesis of the Bonnard Museum
Located near Le Bosquet, the Bonnard Museum is housed in one of the last witnesses of the Belle Époque architecture: The Saint-Vianney hotel. The building was restored and adapted in 1998 to house the first museum dedicated to the artist Pierre Bonnard, a leading figure in 19th and 20th century art.
The museum is the result of a project validated by the municipal council of Le Cannet in 2003. Following this approval and the first acquisitions and support received by the town, it was awarded the “Musée de France” label in December 2006, thanks in particular to the deposit of a major work by the Meyer Foundation. Only a few months later, the garden of Le Bosquet was classified as a Historical Monument.
On June 25, 2011, the museum officially opened its doors and launched, one day later, its first exhibition, Bonnard et Le Cannet, dans la lumière de la Méditerranée (Bonnard et Le Cannet, in the light of the Mediterranean). The exhibition, which ran until September 2011, welcomed nearly 52,000 visitors, allowing the museum to become one of the most important cultural institutions on the French Riviera.
The collections
The Bonnard Museum enriches its collections through purchases, donations and public and private deposits. The collections retrace the career of the artist, who lived in Le Cannet for more than twenty years, and they are made up of his major works. From landscapes to interiors or nudes, Bonnard’s recurring themes are reflected in the masterpieces presented at the museum.
In 2010, the town of Le Cannet bought its first nude, Nu de profil (Nude in Profile), in addition to the very rare copy of the famous folding screen La Promenade des nourrices (Nannies’ Promenade). Since then, every year the town seizes every opportunity to purchase works to complete the collections of the Bonnard Museum. In 2013 the town of Le Cannet was able to acquire the oil painting Paysage du Cannet par temps de mistral (Cannet Landscape on a Windy Day), painted in 1922 by Pierre Bonnard probably during his first stay at Le Cannet.
Exhibitions and workshops
Since its inauguration in 2011, the Bonnard Museum has been in the habit of launching at least one temporary exhibition per summer. Depending on the year, a second exhibition could be held in winter or autumn.
Among these exhibitions, some were entirely devoted to Pierre Bonnard, notably Entre Chiens et Chats. Bonnard et l’animalité (A vision of cats and dogs: Bonnard and animality) of summer 2016, which highlights the painter and his relationship with the animal world. Other events focused on his entourage and his friendly and artistic relationships, such as Henri Manguin. Un fauve chez Bonnard (Henri Manguin. A Fauvist at Bonnard’s), which highlights the work of Henri Manguin, who was close to Bonnard, or Bonnard/Vuillard. La collection Zeïneb et Jean-Pierre Marcie-Rivière (Bonnard/Vuillard. Donated by Zeïneb and Jean-Pierre Marcie-Rivière), exhibited in summer 2017 to mark the 150th anniversary of Pierre Bonnard’s birth, which presents, in partnership with the Musée d’Orsay, works by the artists and friends, Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard.
Besides the exhibitions presented each year, the Bonnard Museum offers various workshops related to the current exhibition. Some of them are exclusively reserved for children and toddlers and allow them to both discover and awaken their creative spirit. Other workshops are offered to adults and families to give them an unforgettable experience. The Bonnard Museum also offers a creative workshop for adults with disabilities.
Practical information
- Visiting time: allow at least one hour
- Opening days: The museum is open six days a week (closed on Monday). The museum is closed on January 1, May 1, November 1 and December 25. It is also closed when changes need to be made at the museum.
- Schedule: from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from September to June, and from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in July-August.
- Address: 16 Boulevard Sadi Carnot, 06110 Le Cannet
- Access: The museum is accessible by car from Aix-en-Provence/Marseille/Lyon and from Nice/Monaco/Italy (A8 highway, exit n. 42 Le Cannet-Mougins, then Le Cannet Centre). From Cannes SNCF train station, take the Bus Palm’Express number 1, to the stop “Mairie du Cannet”, otherwise from Nice Côte d’Azur airport, take the Bus Cannes Express (number 210) to the stop “Le Cannet Place Benidorm”.
- Label: “Musée de France”
- Website:https://museebonnard.fr/
Selection of museums in Alpes-Maritimes
