In February 1926, the year after Pierre Bonnard married Marthe, the couple bought a villa in Le Cannet, which they named Le Bosquet (‘The Grove’). Situated amid gently rolling hills just inland of the tourist resort of Cannes, what was then a quiet village affords fine views towards the Mediterranean to the south, and inland to the foothills of the Maritime Alps in the north.

Morning on the Rooftops (1928) is a view from their villa in Le Cannet, looking out over the red roofs of nearby houses.

View of Le Cannet from about 1930 is one of his loosest views over the town from their villa Le Bosquet.

This Almond Tree from about 1930 must be one of Bonnard’s finest paintings of trees. It’s carefully constructed according to anatomical principles, although it looks quite haphazard and sketchy.

Garden from about 1935 shows part of their garden, apparently in late Spring or early summer with the flowers in full bloom.

Landscape at Le Cannet (1938) is one of Bonnard’s later views over the village to the rolling countryside and dark hills in the distance. The clouds appear to be shed slivers of those hills, in similar colours and backlit by the sun.

Marthe Bonnard died there on 26 January 1942, leaving Pierre living alone in the villa during some of the most difficult years of the war.

Bonnard continued to paint through those years, although his vibrant Garden at Le Cannet (c 1943) is now deserted.

Panoramic View of Le Cannet or The Blue Mountain was painted in gouache and watercolour between 1942-44, and shows his favourite view from his villa above Le Cannet, with the distant hills cold in contrast to the roofs in the town.

Large Landscape, South of France (Le Cannet) from 1945 has been painted at the edge of the town, where its gardens give way to the surrounding countryside. Unusually, it is cropped below the skyline.

Villa Bosquet, Le Cannet, Morning from about 1945 is Bonnard’s strongest statement of his loneliness at home. The empty chair at the table and its even areas of paint are a marked contrast to his earlier domestic views.

Pierre Bonnard died in Le Cannet on 23 January 1947, and was buried locally, alongside Marthe. The town now has a museum dedicated to his art, in a Belle Epoque mansion not far from Le Bosquet.