PLEASANT BUT NO MORE......

Like many artists, I have seen Emile Bernard’s (1868-1941) work in permanent collections around Europe without really knowing much about him. Now that there is a retrospective of his work this seemed to be the moment to go a little further.

They say that he was a major artist in the development of modern art who has not always had the recognition that he deserves. I go along with the second part of this phrase but I am not really in agreement with the modernity.

His early works had an affinity with Impressionism. He then launched a movement which I knew nothing about called Cloisonnist style in the late 1880’s. The composition of the paintings is divided into areas of contrasting flat color surrounded by a black line. This for me compares to the German Expressionism, Die Brücke and probably what immediate comes to mind are artists like Van Dongen, Emile Nolde and others. The same style was adopted by Van Gogh and the Nabis group with which Emile Bernard had close ties.

Nudes and red cow 1889

Peasants picking fruit 1889

Harvesting - 1888

Woman on a horse in Robinson - 1887: Did like this

Harvesters 1888

Bridges at Asnieres 1887

Afternoon in Saint Briac

Women with umbrellas

The Pig Market 1892

He met up with Gaugin in Port-Aven around 1886 but they parted company in 1891 after an argument relating to Symbolism.

The early years of his work are what I would term as « nice to look at ». Nothing really which will make me rush off to see more. But pleasant for a couple of hours in gallery. However, when he changes scene and travels all over Europe and finally settling in Cairo where he lived until 1904, does not inspire me at all. I had to hunt on Internet for the paintings I had seen but none of the latter ones interested me at all. (No photos permitted but I could use my iPhone to note down the titles!) Too realistic, many seemed to look like « me-too’s » of Cezanne and other masters. Some of his graphic works I quite liked but frankly he became too academic for me to appreciate what his statements were. I’m sure many will disagree with me. He is not an artist I will seek to see in the future.


Onto symbolism

Symbolique portrait 1891

Autoportrait,

Autoportrait,

Bathers

Harem (?)

Cabaret 1887

Pietà_1890


His grandmother 1887

Bathers - 1890

Madeline in the Wood 1888

Bourger et Claudel 1910

The Harem

Spanish Musicians, 1897

Smoking Haschich 1900 - these I don't appreciate

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Lo a dit…
Looks too much like Gauguin and co. We're not going to bother with this one.
12/10/14 12:51
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