The Letter
c. 1906
Artist, French, 1867 - 1947
East Building Ground Level, Gallery 103-E
Artwork overview
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Medium
oil on canvas
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Credit Line
-
Dimensions
overall: 55 x 47.5 cm (21 5/8 x 18 11/16 in.)
framed: 78.4 x 70.1 x 4.4 cm (30 7/8 x 27 5/8 x 1 3/4 in.) -
Accession
1963.10.86
Artwork history & notes
Provenance
Acquired 1906 from the artist by (Bernheim-Jeune, Paris); sold to Alexandre Natanson [1867-1936], Paris;[1] (his sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 16 May 1929, no. 88); purchased by (Galerie Étienne Bignou, Paris and New York) for Chester Dale [1882-1962]; [2] bequest 1963 to NGA.
[1] Jean and Henry Dauberville, Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Paris, 1968, no. 389.
[2] Annotated sales catalogue, National Gallery of Art Library. See also Chester Dale papers, copies NGA curatorial files.
Associated Names
Exhibition History
1931
Renoir and His Tradition, Museum of French Art, New York, 1931, no. 23.
1938
Loan Exhibition of Paintings and Prints by Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard, Art Institute of Chicago, 1938-1939, no. 7, repro.
1943
Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1943-1951, unnumbered cat., repro.
1952
Twentieth Century French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1952, no. 11, repro.
1965
The Chester Dale Bequest, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1965, unnumbered checklist.
1980
Post-Impressionism: Cross-Currents in European and American Painting 1880-1906, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1980, not in cat.
Bibliography
1930
Fage, André. Le collectionneur de peintures modernes.Paris, 1930: 252.
1931
"Maud Dale Presents Renoir and His Tradition at French Museum."The Art Digest (December 1, 1931): 32, repro.
1938
Meier-Graefe, Julius. "Bonnard." The Art News (31December 1938): 8, repro.
1943
Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. Philadelphia, 1943:, color frontispiece.
1952
Twentieth Century French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1952 (2nd ed., 1960; rev. ed., 1965): 11, repro.
"Chester Dale's Collection." Pictures on Exhibit Vol XV, no 3 (December 1952): 11.
"Best of Dale Collection goes on Display at Gallery Today." The Sunday Star_ (23 November 1952): A14.
1954
Walker, John. "The Letter." Ladies Home Journal (March 1954): 64, repro.
1960
Twentieth Century French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1960 (2nd ed.): 12, repro.
1965
Twentieth Century French Paintings & Sculpture of the French School in the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965 (rev. ed.): 11, repro.
Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 16.
1966
Dauberville, Jean, and Henry Dauberville. Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint. 4 vols. Paris, 1966-1974: no. 389, repro.
1968
National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 9, repro.
1975
European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 32, repro.
1979
Watson, Ross. The National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1979: 128, pl. 115.
1984
Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 576, no. 881, color repro.
1985
European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 52, repro.
1993
Duffy, Jean. "Bonnard and Josipovici: 'Il ne s'agit pas de peindre la vie, il s'agit de rendre vivante la peinture.'"Word&Image Vol. 9 No.4 (October - December 1993): 289, repro.
Inscriptions
lower right: Bonnard
Wikidata ID
Q20191025