Bonnard, Pierre and Marthe 2023

Before WWI starts, Pierre Bonnard, Vincent Macaigne, is drawn to Marthe de Méligny, Cécile De France, at first sight and invites her to pose in his studio. During the modeling, Pierre asks her to pose nude for him, a request she protests, and their bickering over her nudity spills into a moment of passion that finds Marthe spending the night with him. Over the next few days, they grow closer and begin spending more and more time together, and Pierre eventually suggests that they move in together and live as a couple. At first she refuses, but Pierre’s persistence and his confession that he cannot live without her touch her deeply, and Marthe relents.

As their relationship solidifies, they move into a large country home by a scenic lake, a setting that becomes both a backdrop for their romance and a studio for Pierre’s art. When an exhibition for Pierre’s works takes place, his paintings are well received, yet Marthe is uneasy about appearing in the show where many of her nude portraits would be displayed. She ultimately returns home without attending the exhibit, though they continue to share life and intimacy in their lakeside refuge, their bond growing amid private moments indoors and in secluded outdoor spaces. Marthe’s health adds a quiet tension to their days; a doctor is consulted, and on his way out he confides in Pierre that Marthe has a weak heart and that she may not have long.

By August 1914, Pierre remains concerned about Marthe’s health. Claude Monet, André Marcon, visits and together they stroll along the lake to a waterscape Pierre has found, where Monet agrees to sketch the local flora and waters. Marthe prepares dinner for a picnic later, and Édouard Vuillard, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, joins them for the meal as they discuss possible plans to visit Egypt. The future feels uncertain, yet the day-to-day life of the couple remains intimate and artful, blending devotion with the pressures of time and illness, all set against the looming shadow of a world on the brink of war.