Sailboats at Arcachon

c. 1920

Sailboats at Arcachon, c. 1920. Pierre Bonnard (French, 1867–1947). Graphite on beige wove paper; sheet: 12.7 x 16.3 cm (5 x 6 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift 2020.123 © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York This drawing is one of many that Pierre Bonnard made in the resort town of Arcachon, on France's southwest coast. He made several visits during the 1920s, each time drawing inspiration from the dramatic coloration that sunlight cast on the Mediterranean Sea. Here, he used sketchy lines to capture the movement of wind and water that surround a lone sailboat on the shore. Pierre Bonnard often made sketches such as this one outdoors and later incorporated them into paintings in his studio.