Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe

On his vibrant canvases, Pierre Bonnard captures rural and urban scenes as well as people and their faces – above all Marthe, his partner and muse. When they meet, the enigmatic Maria Boursin, alias Marthe de Méligny, presents herself as an impoverished Italian aristocrat. They fall head over heels in love, yet Marthe has no idea that she will become the central pillar of a monumental body of work, now considered one of the most important of the early 20th century.

Martin Provost tells the story of Pierre Bonnard, one of the most renowned painters of Post-Impressionism, and his muse Marthe, who later became a painter herself. Over five decades, the film portrays their intense, often tumultuous confrontations. On screen, Vincent Macaigne and Cécile de France embody this passionate yet fragile couple.