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Student Artwork Guide

Tree by the River

Pierre Bonnard, 1909

4 parts 1 The artwork2 In context3 Artist and museum4 Look closely

Name Class Date
Pierre Bonnard, Tree by the River (1909). Public domain.

The facts

Artist
Pierre Bonnard artsdot.com/en/artists/pierre-bonnard/
Artist’s dates
1867 – 1947
Painted
1909
Medium
Oil On Canvas
Original size
102 x 81 cm
Movement
Post-Impressionism Artists who kept the bright colour of Impressionism but pushed shape and feeling further than the eye really sees.
Period
19th Century

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Pierre Bonnard died in 1947; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2017.

Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Aug. 23, 2026

Tree by the River — Pierre Bonnard Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Tree by the River — Pierre Bonnard

How big is it?

The original measures 102 × 81 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

  1. 1860
  2. 1870
  3. 1880
  4. 1890
  5. 1900
  6. 1910
  7. 1920
  8. 1930
  9. 1940

Shaded: the lifetime of Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947) ▲ this work, 1909

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: artsdot.com/en/art/similar/pierre-bonnard-tree-by-the-river-8LT4W8-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Phthalo Green #252f2a

    Catalogued palette

    • #252F2A
    • #565F44
    • #9A8B59
    • #D0C0A1
    Main colour name
    Phthalo Green
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Softly Mixed Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Aug. 23, 2026

    Tree by the River — Pierre Bonnard Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Tree by the River — Pierre Bonnard

    Artist

    Pierre Bonnard

    Born in Fontenay-aux-Roses, France

    A Life Bathed in Light: The World of Pierre Bonnard

    Pierre Bonnard, born in 1867 in the Parisian suburb of Fontenay-aux-Roses, wasn’t destined for a life steeped in artistic expression. His father, a high-ranking official in the French Ministry of War, envisioned a legal career for his son. Young Pierre dutifully pursued law studies, earning his license in 1888, but his heart lay elsewhere—in the captivating world of color and form. This duality, this tension between expectation and passion, would subtly inform his artistic journey, lending a unique intimacy to his work. He initially dabbled in caricature, honing an observational skill that would later blossom into exquisitely rendered domestic scenes. However, it was at the Académie Julian where Bonnard truly found his path, encountering kindred spirits who shared his burgeoning rejection of academic conventions and embraced the avant-garde spirit sweeping through Paris. This encounter led him to the Nabis, a group of artists—including Maurice Denis, Paul Sérusier, and Édouard Vuillard—who sought to infuse art with spirituality and symbolism, moving beyond mere representation towards an exploration of inner experience.

    The Nabi Years and the Cultivation of Intimacy

    Bonnard’s association with the Nabis proved pivotal.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Tree by the River

    artsdot.com/en/art/download/pierre-bonnard-tree-by-the-river-8LT4W8-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Bonnard, Pierre. Tree by the River. 1909, https://artsdot.com/en/art/pierre-bonnard-tree-by-the-river-8LT4W8-en/
    APA
    Bonnard, Pierre (1909). Tree by the River [Painting]. https://artsdot.com/en/art/pierre-bonnard-tree-by-the-river-8LT4W8-en/
    Chicago
    Pierre Bonnard. Tree by the River. 1909. https://artsdot.com/en/art/pierre-bonnard-tree-by-the-river-8LT4W8-en/
    Harvard
    Bonnard, Pierre (1909) Tree by the River. Available at: https://artsdot.com/en/art/pierre-bonnard-tree-by-the-river-8LT4W8-en/

    Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Aug. 23, 2026

    Tree by the River — Pierre Bonnard Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Tree by the River — Pierre Bonnard

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: landscape, river scene, trees. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Nude (1920), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Post-Impressionism: Artists who kept the bright colour of Impressionism but pushed shape and feeling further than the eye really sees. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.