The Violet Fence

The Violet Fence — Pierre Bonnard. c. 1923.

Medium: graphite on beige wove paper. Dimensions: Sheet: 10 x 14.9 cm (3 15/16 x 5 7/8 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

This drawing relates to a painting of the same title, part of a large group of sketches and canvases that Pierre Bonnard created while living in the small French town of Vernon. The artist purchased a home there in 1912 and drew inspiration from a dense garden that grew nearby. In this sheet, Bonnard experimented with recording the picket fence for which the final painting was named, translating the landscape using jagged, sketchy lines that he later realized as loose and expressive brushstrokes with vivid color.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.