Bonnard and Vuillard in dialogue with La Pedrera in large exhibition on intimacy in modern art
The Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera is proud to present an exhibition titled “The Nabis: from Bonnard to Vuillard” at La Pedrera, exploring how a group of artists transformed painting in the late 19th century, putting feelings, subjectivity and daily life front and centre in modern art. It is the first exhibition in Barcelona to focus exclusively on this movement.
The Nabis, a group whose name is derived from the Hebrew neviim meaning prophets, sought to contribute a new creative vision and generate a total art conceived in perfect harmony with modern life. They saw painting not as a mere representation of reality, but as an expressive language that could convey feelings, memories and interior atmospheres. With views that diverged radically from Naturalism, they forged a path towards a new concept of art that anticipated many of the fundamental ideas of modernity.
Active between 1888 and 1900, the group formed around Paul Sérusier, initially with students from the Académie Julian in Paris: Paul-Élie Ranson, Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard and Maurice Denis. Soon they were joined by Henri-Gabriel Ibels, Georges Lacombe, Aristide Maillol, József Rippl-Rónai, Ker-Xavier Roussel, Félix Vallotton and Jan Verkade.
Despite their differences, the Nabis were united by the idea of restoring a decorative quality to painting. Eager to reunify the arts, the group embraced a wide range of techniques –painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture– and many of its members worked beyond the canvas, producing wallpaper designs, tapestries, folding screens and manufactured objects, as well as interior decoration. Their aim was to enhance everyday life with creations that reflected the reconciliation of artist and craftsman.
The Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera exhibition, organised with exceptional support from the Musée d’Orsay, presents the aesthetic principles, influences and concepts that define Nabi art. Through a broad selection of works, it reveals the beauty, diversity and creativity of this movement, which played a key role in the transition from Impressionism to the early avant-garde movements of the 20th century. It looks more closely at two noteworthy figures: Bonnard, with his exploration of light and colour, and Vuillard, whose work is marked by introspection and the psychological aspect of domestic space.
There is no better place for an exhibition on the Nabis than Casa Milà. One of the main focal points of this exhibition is their desire to break down the barriers between art and life. They didn’t believe in a hierarchy of painting, decorative arts, poster art and illustration: all art should be part of the day-to-day experience. This approach has a natural connection to La Pedrera, which Antoni Gaudí designed as a complete work of art, melding architecture, shape and daily life.
The exhibition, featuring nearly two hundred works, is divided into thematic sections to present the group’s main characteristics and subject matters.
The display is a great opportunity to see an important selection of pieces from private collections and museums and institutions, including the Musée d’Orsay, Centre Pompidou, Petit Palais and Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, all in one place.
With “The Nabis: from Bonnard to Vuillard”, the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera is consolidating its commitment to exhibitions of great artistic quality, connecting big names in European art with a living heritage space in a discourse that is accessible for all visitors.
The exhibition will be on display in the La Pedrera Exhibition Hall from 6 March through 28 June and there will be a complementary programme of guided tours and family and educational activities.
Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera
The Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera is committed to promoting art and culture through carefully considered programming of exhibition experiences, thus reaffirming one of its founding purposes: to act as a cultural catalyst for society.
A wide-ranging cultural programme will accompany the exhibition on the Nabis, highlighting the group’s connections to music, symbolism and Modernisme.
Aiming to broaden and open up new perspectives on the exhibition, the Foundation has worked with several other cultural institutions to draw connections to other fields of art, including concerts by Mireia Tarragó and Marc Serra at Palau de la Música on 10 April and a piano recital by Albert Cano Smit at Gran Teatre del Liceu on 12 May; guided tours of Picasso Museum Barcelona (17 March) and the MNAC (6 June); a French poetry on 19 May as part of the 2026 Barcelona Poesía festival and Nabis Day at La Pedrera on 19 April, featuring director Lluís Danés, author Carlota Gurt and art historian Teresa M. Sala.
