Bonnard 1867-1947: May October

Collectible Art Book Australian Art History Picture Book Art Monograph Exhibition Catalogue Post-Impressionism Modern Art

Bonnard 1867-1947: May October is a scarce 1971 soft-cover exhibition catalogue that captures Pierre Bonnard at the height of his post-Impressionist powers. Published to coincide with the artist’s retrospective at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, this 160-page picture book overflows with 100+ high-resolution colour plates and period black-and-white photographs—many of the images now out-of-print and hard to source anywhere else. Collectors prize the edition for its faithful colour separations; the warm, sun-drenched pinks and ochres of Bonnard’s famous bathing nudes and intimate domestic interiors are reproduced on heavy matte stock that still holds saturation five decades later.

What makes this particular copy desirable is its pristine, unmarked interior—no ex-libris plates, gift inscriptions, or shelf-wear to detract from the artwork. The square-back binding is tight, the pages are crisp, and the original dust-flaps are intact, making it suitable for both display and scholarly reference. Because the print run was limited to the length of the Australian showing, most copies were handled heavily in the gallery shop; finding one in this well-preserved state is increasingly rare.

For students, curators, or collectors building a focused modernist library, Bonnard 1867-1947 doubles as a stand-alone monograph and a primary document of 1970s curatorial practice. Essays by then-director John Stringer contextualise Bonnard’s transition from Nabi decorative schemes to the luminous, almost abstract palette of his later Riviera years, while the exhibition checklist provides provenance for key works now held in private collections. Whether you are framing the catalogue as wall art, sourcing reference for a thesis, or completing a run of twentieth-century exhibition histories, this affordable paperback delivers museum-quality visuals without the museum shop price tag.

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