Woman with Dog

Painted in 1922 and held at the Phillips Collection, this intimate scene of a woman with a dog is characteristic of Bonnard's domestic animal subjects. Dogs — small, companion animals kept in bourgeois households — appear throughout Bonnard's work as elements of the domestic texture, alongside cats, tablecloths, fruit bowls, and the figure of Marthe. The woman with dog composition allows Bonnard to explore the warm relationship between human and animal within the domestic interior. The Phillips Collection's holding of Bonnard's domestic figure works is exceptional in its range and quality.

The human figure and dog create an intimate grouping within the domestic interior. Warm flesh tones and the varying colour of the dog's coat are placed within the rich chromatic environment of the room. The handling is fluid and warm, capturing the affectionate relationship between woman and animal.