I have so many memories of these two twentieth-century geniuses whose work has profoundly
marked the history of art. These memories resonate particularly strongly today as we
celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Marguerite and Aimé Maeght Foundation.
While Pierre Bonnard and my father first met in Cannes in 1936 through a lithograph to be
printed, the first meeting between my mother and the master of the Nabis took place at the
beginning of the war. In 1940, Aimé served for a while as a reservist in Toulon, while my
mother, fully aware of the importance of her role as head of the family, ran their gallery on
rue des Belges in Cannes. Madame Lebasque, widow of the painter who belonged to the Nabi
group, as did Paul Sérusier, Maurice Denis and Edouard Vuillard, entrusted her with the first
major paintings to be sold by the gallery. But she didn’t stop there, suggesting that Marguerite
also approach Pierre Bonnard, a neighbour and friend of the Lebasques. Not fully aware
of the painter’s importance, Marguerite immediately offered him her services. And so, with
our hand-pulled trolley, we “went up” to Le Cannet. Right up to the end of his life, Bonnard
remained fond of telling the story of how he met his my mother: not only did Marguerite
have no doubts about obtaining a painting from the master, but she also told him that the
prices he had just announced were utterly unreasonable. She knew what she was talking
about after all, given that she was selling Pastour and now Lebasque! Bonnard, amused,
appreciated Marguerite’s bubbly personality and entrusted her with a painting
— staying firm
on his price. Returning from Toulon on leave, Aimé, well aware of who Bonnard was, was met
by the incredible sight of one of the artist’s pieces in the window on rue des Belges.
Bonnard spent the last years of his life with my family. Widowed in 1942, he would come for
lunch or dinner several times a week and picnic with us on the Lérins islands off Cannes.
Camera in hand, my father and I would always capture these wonderfully close family
moments with the painter. The only films that exist showing Pierre Bonnard are the ones we
made: picnics on the islands, swimming in Cannes, strolls through the narrow streets of Le
Suquet… Bonnard drew many sketches of my family from life, and painted one very tender
portrait of my mother that particularly stands out.