Bonnard, Pierre and Marthe

The most famous work of the French screenwriter-director Martin Provost is the artist portrait Seraphine, which earned seven French Oscars, also known as Cesar Awards, in 2008. His latest film also tells the story of the artist, the French post-impressionist painter Pierre Bonnard (Vincent Macaigne), born in 1867. Bonnard, a well-known artist in his homeland, encounters a working-class woman named Marthe (Cécile de France) on the street and asks her to pose as his model. Soon, the two of them are deeply in love.

They move from Paris to the tranquility of the countryside, where they enjoy an idyllic life. Even the famous painter Claude Monet, on his way to paint water lilies, comes to visit them from time to time with a picnic basket. However, Marthe, who is ashamed of her poor background, struggles to adapt to the cultured atmosphere and, especially, Bonnard's womanizing.