This is one of the most beautiful examples of Bonnard’s unique genre of ‘domestic landscapes’ – paintings that merge interior spaces and natural surroundings, using the device of an open door or window. In the foreground, a dining table is casually set with three dishes. Beside the table are two chairs, each supporting a small cat. Through the nearby door and window, the scene is extended out to a dense and vibrant garden, in which a crouching figure, likely Marthe de Méligny, adds further to the complexity of the composition. The verdant, almost ethereal landscape beyond, in shades of lilac, pink, yellow and green, suggests the ongoing influence of Claude Monet, who was painting his waterlily canvases between 1897 and 1926, in nearby Giverny.
Pierre Bonnard
French 1867–1947
The dining room in the country (Salle à manger à la campagne) 1913
oil on canvas
164.5 × 205.7 cm
Minneapolis Institute of Art
The John R. Van Derlip Fund (54.15)
Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
