Bernard, Émile

(1868-1941)

   painter

   A postimpressionist, Émile Bernard, who was born in Lille, studied art (1884) in Paris, where he met Henri de toulouse-lautrec. He soon became friends with Vincent Van Gogh, paul cézanne, and odilon redon, with whom he conducted a continuous correspondence. often inspired by folk art and by Japanese prints, Bernard went to paint at Pont-Avers, in Brittany, where he met paul gauguin. Bernard had already painted Le Christ jaune and Le Pouldu. Along with other painters who joined them, he and Gauguin developed (1888) what is known as the School of Pont-Avers, which became an important part of the symbolist movement in painting. often compared to cloisonné, it uses color dec-oratively and symbolically to express emotion over reality (Madeleine au Bois d'Amour; La Gardeuse d'oies.) In 1892, Bernard exhibited with the nabis group, who shared his colorful style. In 1893, he traveled to Italy and then to Egypt, where he remained for six years. At that time, he developed a more conventional style, inspired by Byzantine and early European religious art. His theoretical writings on art and art history (published between 1905 and 1910) still had a decisive influence on modern painting.