Nursemaids’ Promenade, Frieze of Carriages
1895
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1895
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see four tall panels side by side: a nanny in a long black dress pushes a baby carriage while two little girls in white pinafores skip ahead. Bonnard painted this as a folding screen, not a regular picture. He borrowed the flat, bright shapes from Japanese woodblock prints he loved. The scene feels like a quick snapshot of everyday Paris life. Look up Japanese woodblock prints to see where he got the idea.
