Louise Bonnet’s falling figures depict an emotional narrative to be felt rather than told

Oil painted figures.

Fragility and loneliness, melancholy and grief. These are a few themes brushed upon by artist Louise Bonnet’s latest solo exhibition, 'Reversal of Fortune', at Galerie Max Hetzler in Berlin. In her renowned style, depicting fluid emotions encased within the human form, she explores the notion of falling and the emotions of a turning point or downfall.

Louise Bonnet presents 'Reversal of Fortune'

Louise Bonnet, Delos 2, 2024 oil on linen (Image credit: Photo: def image. © Louise Bonnet, courtesy the artist and Galerie Max Hetzler Berlin | Paris | London | Marfa)

On a series of linen and paper, the viewer can see female figures beyond the picture frame, positioned slipping off beds and other furnishings in a descent into the unknown. As Bonnet elaborates, ‘I thought that falling, which betrays us as absolutely human – our bodies slipping from an ordained position, failing to perform an expected pose or an expected role – could therefore be a form of passive resistance, a way to show complete humanity in the face of what is being expected by the world or ourselves.’

Louise Bonnet, Asteria Pink, 2024, oil on linen (Image credit: Photo: def image. © Louise Bonnet, courtesy the artist and Galerie Max Hetzler Berlin | Paris | London | Marfa)

Bonnet’s technique nods towards Dutch 16th-century painting as she layers oil paints on a linen canvas with depth and tonality. Her work is dramatic, with figures falling headfirst and limbs resting at uncomfortable angles. Some faces are distorted, features blended together as they hit a hard surface, referencing the fragility of human existence. Others have charming smiles, somewhat gleeful and accepting of the fate that is bestowed upon them.

Louise Bonnet, Odalisque 1, 2024, oil on linen (framed) (Image credit: Photo: def image. © Louise Bonnet, courtesy the artist and Galerie Max Hetzler Berlin | Paris | London | Marfa)

The figures are deeply rooted in art historical references, and are composed to be unintrusively observed and not objectified; they live in a world inside the painting, stuck within the frame. For the observant viewer, Bonnet’s symbolism hints at a secret message to unscramble. Begonia, irises, and dahlias signify warning, danger and instability. In each composition, the cooling colours and curved bodies spark an emotional language, a narrative to be felt rather than told.

Louise Bonnet, 'Reversal of Fortune' is on display at Galerie Max Hetzler, Potsdamer Straße 77–87, 10785 Berlin, until 18 January 2025

(Image credit: Photo: def image. © Louise Bonnet, courtesy the artist and Galerie Max Hetzler Berlin | Paris | London | Marfa)

Louise Bonnet, Asteria Red, 2024, oil on linen (Image credit: Photo: def image. © Louise Bonnet, courtesy the artist and Galerie Max Hetzler Berlin | Paris | London | Marfa)

Louise Bonnet Asteria Gold, 2024 oil on linen (Image credit: Photo: def image. © Louise Bonnet, courtesy the artist and Galerie Max Hetzler Berlin | Paris | London | Marfa)