Artistic friendship: Matisse and Bonnard

A highlight for visitors to Frankfurt's Städel Museum will be Matisse's "Large Reclining Nude." The famed oil painting hasn't been on show in Germany for three decades.

Matisse's 1929 oil painting, "Two Odalisques, One Being Nude, Ornamental Ground and Checkerboard," is normally part of the permanent collection at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. For the Städel exhibition, it was sent to Frankfurt on loan.

When it came to nude paintings, both Matisse and Bonnard placed an emphasis on the background, often draping fabrics, curtains or other colored elements to add to the composition. Bonnard's "Reclining Nude Against a White and Blue Plaid," is extremely small, measuring just 60 by 65 centimeters (about 24 by 26 inches). It belongs to the Städel Museum.

In Bonnard's home in Le Cannet, in southern France, paintings, drawings and sketches were piled everywhere, more often than not in a disorganized heap. In this photo by world-famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bonnard appears lost in thought. Cartier-Bresson shot the photo in 1944.

Cartier-Bresson also frequently visited Matisse in his studio in nearby Vence, and took many photos of the painter, often in quite private settings. Here, the famous artist has been snapped in his bathrobe while relaxing at home. The black-and-white photo was also taken in 1944.

For most of their lives, both painters lived in southern France. It's not surprising, then, that their works bear a certain resemblance, featuring beach promenades, bright summer light and atmospheric nudes. Seen here is Bonnard's "Terrace in the South of France." The exhibition "Vive la Peinture!" ("Long Live Painting!") is on show at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt until January 14.