This is an Émile Bernard chronology of the life and career of French artist, art critic and writer Émile Bernard, based on documents hitherto published - however, most of the relevant sources remain unpublished. To a certain extent, these gaps can be filled by information derived from letters and biographies of e.g. Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Émile Schuffenecker. Bernard and his work is associated with Post-Impressionism, Cloisonnism and Synthetism.
Contents:
1860s
1870s
1880s
1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
The Vanguard Years:
1884
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
After having been expelled by Cormon for insubordinate behaviour
[1] in early spring, 1886, his parents tried to convince him to work in business, which he refused.
Financially supported by the parents, Bernard instead went on a foot trip to Brittany. Recommended by
Claude-Émile Schuffenecker, whom he had met at Concarneau, he went to Pont-Aven in July, to see
Paul Gauguin who however at first did not recognize Bernard's talent. Returned home after two months, he moved in with his parents, visited the exhibition of the
Société des Artistes Indépendants and saw the work of
Georges Seurat and
Paul Signac.
When his parents rented a house in Asnières, Émile was able to exhibit pointillist works there, early in the year, and was invited by Seurat to visit his studio. Bernard and Anquetin however soon decided to break with Neo-Impressionism and go their own way, painting flat colour areas but strong black contours.
At Tanguy's, Bernard met Lucien Pissarro and Charles Angrand at that time.
In spring, he returned to Brittany and stayed two months in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, where he created stained glass windows. After his grandmother started to live with the family, they moved to a bigger house and built a studio for Émile.
On occasion of the Salon des Indépendants in March 1888, the art critic Édouard Dujardin coined Bernard's and Anquetin's new style Cloisonnism.
After returning to Paris, Bernard had to find out that Charlotte was meanwhile engaged to someone else. Madeleine became engaged to Charles Laval, who also was obliged to prove that he would be able to maintain a family. After losing his parental allowance, Émile organized a lottery of his paintings.
Deciding to go abroad, together with Maria, [8] Bernard was supported by Count Antoine de La Rochefoucauld and Andries Bonger. He first travelled Italy: On visits in Genova, Pisa, Rome and Florence he admired Perugino, Botticelli, Giotto, Simone Martini, Taddeo Gaddi and Fra Angelico. When meeting Dal Médico, a fellow from Pont-Aven, he decided to accompany him to Constantinople via Samos. There, he got the commission to paint the chapel of Les Missionnaires de Lyon. He afterwards moved on to Smyrna, where Maria left him for a French photographer. Via Jerusalem and Alexandria, he arrived in Cairo by the end of the year. There, he had some income from decorating the chapel of the Pères de la Mission africaine de Lyon, but still was supported by Bonger and de La Rochefouauld.
Married Hannénah Saati, of Libanese descent, on July 1 and started living like an Arab, whilst reading Fathers of the Church (St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas) and philosophers like Hegel, Aristotle and Plato, for becoming inspired. Still was, to some extent, supported by his family. To the 5th album of André Marty's L'Estampe originale, he contributed a print.
Bernard's first son, Otse, was born. The painter was commissioned with frescoes for the chapel of Cairo's Cathédrale de la Vierge and looked for inspiration in Michelangelo's oeuvre.
His sister Madeleine, terminally ill with tuberculosis, moved to Cairo, where she died on November 19.
For their difficult financial situation, the family moved to Spain, reaching Granada in August and Seville in December. Hannénah became ill of tuberculosis.
In spring, Bernard met Spanish painter Zuloaga; after the birth of a second son, Fortunato, they moved back to Cairo to live with Hannénah's family. Both sons died of tuberculosis, soon later.
Birth of a third son, Odilon. Bernard participated at the Salon de l'Art Religieux and published the first one of 17 volumes of poetry. Besides, he started a major paintings series on life in Cairo.
In an exhibition in honour of Odilon Redon, organized by de La Rochfoucauld and held at Durand-Ruel gallery, Bernard exhibited a tapestry and a cupboard panel.
This is an Émile Bernard chronology of the life and career of French artist, art critic and writer Émile Bernard, based on documents hitherto published - however, most of the relevant sources remain unpublished. To a certain extent, these gaps can be filled by information derived from letters and biographies of e.g. Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Émile Schuffenecker. Bernard and his work is associated with Post-Impressionism, Cloisonnism and Synthetism.
Contents:
1860s
1870s
1880s
1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
The Vanguard Years:
1884
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
After having been expelled by Cormon for insubordinate behaviour
[1] in early spring, 1886, his parents tried to convince him to work in business, which he refused.
Financially supported by the parents, Bernard instead went on a foot trip to Brittany. Recommended by
Claude-Émile Schuffenecker, whom he had met at Concarneau, he went to Pont-Aven in July, to see
Paul Gauguin who however at first did not recognize Bernard's talent. Returned home after two months, he moved in with his parents, visited the exhibition of the
Société des Artistes Indépendants and saw the work of
Georges Seurat and
Paul Signac.
When his parents rented a house in Asnières, Émile was able to exhibit pointillist works there, early in the year, and was invited by Seurat to visit his studio. Bernard and Anquetin however soon decided to break with Neo-Impressionism and go their own way, painting flat colour areas but strong black contours.
At Tanguy's, Bernard met Lucien Pissarro and Charles Angrand at that time.
In spring, he returned to Brittany and stayed two months in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, where he created stained glass windows. After his grandmother started to live with the family, they moved to a bigger house and built a studio for Émile.
On occasion of the Salon des Indépendants in March 1888, the art critic Édouard Dujardin coined Bernard's and Anquetin's new style Cloisonnism.
After returning to Paris, Bernard had to find out that Charlotte was meanwhile engaged to someone else. Madeleine became engaged to Charles Laval, who also was obliged to prove that he would be able to maintain a family. After losing his parental allowance, Émile organized a lottery of his paintings.
Deciding to go abroad, together with Maria, [8] Bernard was supported by Count Antoine de La Rochefoucauld and Andries Bonger. He first travelled Italy: On visits in Genova, Pisa, Rome and Florence he admired Perugino, Botticelli, Giotto, Simone Martini, Taddeo Gaddi and Fra Angelico. When meeting Dal Médico, a fellow from Pont-Aven, he decided to accompany him to Constantinople via Samos. There, he got the commission to paint the chapel of Les Missionnaires de Lyon. He afterwards moved on to Smyrna, where Maria left him for a French photographer. Via Jerusalem and Alexandria, he arrived in Cairo by the end of the year. There, he had some income from decorating the chapel of the Pères de la Mission africaine de Lyon, but still was supported by Bonger and de La Rochefouauld.
Married Hannénah Saati, of Libanese descent, on July 1 and started living like an Arab, whilst reading Fathers of the Church (St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas) and philosophers like Hegel, Aristotle and Plato, for becoming inspired. Still was, to some extent, supported by his family. To the 5th album of André Marty's L'Estampe originale, he contributed a print.
Bernard's first son, Otse, was born. The painter was commissioned with frescoes for the chapel of Cairo's Cathédrale de la Vierge and looked for inspiration in Michelangelo's oeuvre.
His sister Madeleine, terminally ill with tuberculosis, moved to Cairo, where she died on November 19.
For their difficult financial situation, the family moved to Spain, reaching Granada in August and Seville in December. Hannénah became ill of tuberculosis.
In spring, Bernard met Spanish painter Zuloaga; after the birth of a second son, Fortunato, they moved back to Cairo to live with Hannénah's family. Both sons died of tuberculosis, soon later.
Birth of a third son, Odilon. Bernard participated at the Salon de l'Art Religieux and published the first one of 17 volumes of poetry. Besides, he started a major paintings series on life in Cairo.
In an exhibition in honour of Odilon Redon, organized by de La Rochfoucauld and held at Durand-Ruel gallery, Bernard exhibited a tapestry and a cupboard panel.