Les Nabis

Les Nabis

Les Nabis was a collective of post-impressionist French painters from 1888 to 1900, bold contours and simplified drawing techniques.

Key members of Les Nabis, including Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, and Maurice Denis, initially met at the Académie Julian in Paris, providing a more liberal alternative to the official École des Beaux Arts.

Founded by Paul Sérusier in secret, the group drew inspiration from Paul Gauguin's synthetism, adopting a bold and simplified style. They explored unconventional painting techniques on various supports such as cardboard and velvet and ventured into set design for symbolist theatre.


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Parra's studio, with Parra at the centre, his back to the camera as he works on the large painting takes centre stage, showing a faceless blue woman in a striped dress, painted in red, purple, blue and teal. The studio is full of brightly coloured paints, with a large window on the right and a patterned rug across the floor under the painting.