Pierre Bonnard’s Oil on Cardboard: A Comparative Study of Two Paintings at the Gothenburg Museum of Art

In this study, two oil paintings on cardboard in the collection of Gothenburg Museum of Art, Nude and Model in Armchair by Pierre Bonnard, are investigated and compared. Both paintings were made around 1903–1905 during a significant time in Bonnard’s career, when his palette became brighter – moving towards a more colouristic expression. The paintings have both been on permanent display since their acquisition, but Nude shows a higher degree of discolouration and degradation while Model in Armchair appears more stable. This study aims to investigate the technique, condition, and degradation, employing analytical methods such as microscopy, and in-situ spectroscopic analysis (X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy). Both palettes and two types of varnish were identified. An overpainted date was discovered on Nude and a painting on the verso was discovered on Model in Armchair. The composition of one of the varnishes may have compromised the condition of Nude.