The Window with Dog

The reflection of the dog seems to look out of the French window onto the red roofs of Le Cannet, drawing the viewer's attention to the view of the landscape and embodying the act of gazing which is the basis of the entire composition. The central theme of the painting, a favorite of Bonnard in recent years, as it was for his close friend Matisse, is the open portal, which plays on the Renaissance notion of painting as seen through a window.