Bonnard: Pierre and Marthe

Paris, 1893. The painter Pierre Bonnard meets a factory worker on the street who introduces herself as Marthe and claims to be unattached. In reality, her name is Maria, and she lives modestly with her sister and her mother, whose health is fragile. The young woman agrees to pose for him and then becomes his lover. Becoming Pierre's muse, Marthe tries to distance him from his Parisian friends, who are members of the post-impressionist Nabi movement. During a walk along the Seine, the couple discovers an unoccupied property and decides to buy it immediately. It is in this rural residence that, over the decades, Pierre refines his style while experiencing tumultuous moments with his companion, who becomes increasingly jealous and insecure about her aging body, which is also weakened by asthma.