" 5 it is pretty easy to see the top of the black hat, but the gray area might be his cape flapping in the breeze along the busy Paris street. The last thing about this poster is the white lettering which runs across the bottom. These letters appear to have been done like handwriting because of their wobbly shape. Overall, this poster is two-dimensional, very flat and decorative and Bonnard is definitely referring here to "Japanese woodcut prints where flat areas of plain color and pattern deny the illusion of space." 6 Also, this poster tells us of the gap between the wealthy, like the woman, and those that live in poverty or outside of accepted social circles like the boy or "urchin" with his thumb pointing to the copy of the journal. Socially, La Revue Blanche creates the idea that this journal is the best in the city of Paris which is supported by the woman holding a copy of the journal. This woman with her left hand on her hip seems to occupy a high position in French society because her eyes and the shape of her nose are extremely alluring, not to mention her mysterious gaze aimed at the observer which might indicate her superiority. Furthermore, her hat with small white flowers is very well-done and detailed and might indicate that she is a lady of high moral values.

The "urchin," perhaps a young boy, in this poster has a pale...

As he points his thumb at the copy of the journal held by the woman, his eyes look away from it while his open mouth could be saying "Wow! Buy this journal!" Also, the 'L' of "La" hangs from the woman's arm like an umbrella and the 'a' wraps around the upper part of her leg which might mean that like the woman the journal is also attractive. The 'b' in "blanche" defines one side of her dress and the 'l' separates the two figures, meaning that socially there is gap between them. 7
In conclusion, Bonnard's La Revue Blanche as a piece of advertisement shows how popular journals like "La Revue Blanche" were in late 19th century Paris and also shows the divisions between the French classes with one side being well-off and intelligent (the woman) and the other living in poverty and ignorance (the "urchin").

ENDNOTES

"Pierre Bonnard: Observing Nature." National Gallery of Australia. Internet. 2003.

Pierre Bonnard," Internet.

Ibid, Internet.

Bibliography

Pierre Bonnard: Observing Nature." National Gallery of Australia. Internet. 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2008 at http://nationalgallery.gov.au/Bonnard/Detail.cfm?IRN= &MnuID=1.