Accession Number
1957/1.114

Title
Policeman with Accused

Artist(s)
Pierre Bonnard

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1924

Medium & Support
etching on paper

Dimensions
14 15/16 in x 10 15/16 in (37.9 cm x 27.8 cm);14 15/16 in x 10 15/16 in (37.94 cm x 27.78 cm);11 3/16 in x 8 7/8 in (28.42 cm x 22.54 cm);18 7/8 in x 14 1/16 in (48 cm x 35.7 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
This work belongs to the set of illustrations that Pierre Bonnard created to illustrate Octave Mirbeau's novel Dingo. The novel is about Mirbeau's pet dog, but is also thought to have political implications. Mirbeau was a known anarchist and radical and this free-willed spirit is portrayed through the character of Dingo who runs afoul of orderly expectations of society. In this scene, Dingo has been caught, presumably for a crime, and is accompanied by a policeman. Though it was completed after Mirbeau's death, the author was familiar with Bonnard's style and found the loose, spontaneous line of his drawing and etching, seen here, to reflect his own sentiments.

Physical Description
This print shows two figures side-by-side. The figure on the left is a dog, though it sits upright and wears a suit jacket and cravat. The figure on the right looks towards the dog, wearing a cap and military jacket. There is a darkly shaded window behind, and a rail or gate in front. 

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Canis (genus)
anarchism
crime
illustration (process)
modern and contemporary art
policemen
standing