Intimacy

Monumentality of everyday life

The Nabis often chose unspectacular scenes from their direct surroundings for their prints, such as family life, the view from their studio, or a day out with friends in the summertime. By internalising and abstracting these personal experiences, they touched on universal human existence.

The art historian Gustave Coquiot, for instance, described Pierre Bonnard’s interiors as ritual performances:

‘It is as if dinner to him is one of life’s most serious matters, and therefore deserving of his utmost attention and dedication.’

Private prints

Many fin-de-siècle prints are simply titled Intimacy. They are small, atmospheric images with figures that merge into the darkness of impenetrable rooms.

Printmaking lent itself perfectly to small subjects from the private sphere, as the works were intended to be examined closely by private collectors in the seclusion of their study.