France-Champagne was Bonnard’s first major Japanese-inspired work, created between 1889 and 1891. A lithograph advertisement for champagne, it was also his first major success as a commercial artist: the 100 francs that he was awarded for its execution provided him with the confidence and funds to quit his job as a barrister (A. Terrasse, Grove). This financial validation even convinced his conservative, financially-minded father to support his move to become an artist (Rewald). The sale was also a mandate for his use of the artistic techniques of Japanese woodblock prints, as well, as it was their use that provided him with the freedom to create art full time.
Indeed, Japanese influence is quite apparent in this work. Not only does he depict a lone female subject, reminiscent of the Ukiyo-e prints of which he collected so many, but he shows the curvaceous lines of her shoulders and breasts and draws her face in an expression of ecstasy that is quite suggestive. This sort of innuendo was to be expected in Japanese prints, some of which, such as those by Utamaro, were exceedingly risqué, but was quite unorthodox by nineteenth century French standards. This sensual, progressive approach to the female body could have been a reaction to a conservative upbringing and expectations, especially because at the time of the work’s creation, he was still tied to the onerous law career his father had chose for him (Zutter). In order to portray this sense of freedom and sensuality, he utilized the calligraphic line of oriental ink painting, framing his woman with an "arabesque outline as an innovative way of rendering corporeality in the plane" (Petrucchi-Petri, 190). As Petrucchi-Petri remarks, this decorative and stylized depiction was freer and more spontaneous in comparison to typical European art, bringing a sensuality to art that was foreign and exciting to his Parisian audience. Interestingly, this newfound appearance of freedom in art brought him freedom in his artistry through the financial independence granted by the sale of the painting.
While Bonnard obviously adopted some Japanese artistic techniques for use in his France-Champagne lithograph, at the time of this work’s creation he certainly had not yet developed the Japonesque penchant for bright, vibrant colors that is apparent in some of his later works. In fact, this piece is a good example of Bonnard’s origins in terms of color use, as he had yet to begin his exploration of colorism. The poster was composed with muted hues that do nothing to shock the viewer, a palette that is representative of his early works. If he had created the same advertisement later in his career, he probably would have used exciting colors to reflect the happy and sensual attitude of his subject.