See also:  [Primitivis]
                  [Paul Gauguin]
                  [Pont Aven] (art school)

                
Emil Bernard

Emil Bernard (b.1868, Lille; d.1941, Paris)

"Competant and original as a painter, he also made woodcuts,
sculpture, furniture and tapestries. He was also a poet and writer,
with an alert mind, charged with religious mysticsm and pre-
disposed to philosophical digression. Keen and un-selfish in
character, he was the first before 1890 to proclaim admiration
for Cezanne and Redon, both of
whom were partly indebted for their rise to fame." [...]"
Bernard was about the only one who tried to get Van Gogh noticed.
(the translation from the FR is not very good at this point; me thinks)
 [Ref: D-Of-MP], P. 27, John Renwald.

First "not off to the best foot" meeting with Gauguin.

Development of Cloisonnism.

In advocating the theory of cloisonnism with Gauguin, this caused a
bitter breakup between them. [... Bernard's name will always be
associated with this curious Pont-Aven school, which
played and important partr in the years around 1890 [TIME LINE info]
Ref: [Dictionary of Modern Painting],
P.27, John Renwald).

Meeting with Cezanne [D-of-MP], quote by Cezanne: "He completely
turns his back on all his theories; his drawing is old stuff based on
a vision prompted not by a feeling for Nature but by what he as seen 
in museums, and even more by a philosophical turn of mind 
acquired through too vast a knowledge of the masters he admires."
[J.R.] continues, "Unfortunately, this tendency was only to 
increase with time."

He died embittered, "being known only as the advocate of Cezanne,
Van Gogh, Cauguin, and Odilon Redon, while his own later work
remained in the shade, from wher it is unlikely ever to emerge."

Mr. R. responds:  "I think, not!"  (Off to the side, Pizo, still trying
to adjust his Sancho Panchez hat, sez, "Oh, no. Here we go again,
more windmills")  (fade to black, then strings slowly rising,
and then after establishing a constant "background", the slowly
rising rhythm of the drums bring forth a set of dancers in a 
dance of "neo-primitivism" -- lights slowly coming up).

(fade to chess game)

R (musing silently, rocking his head back and forth to the 
seque track (#11) from Frank Zappa's "Broadway the Hardway"),

P: I moved the knight, threatening your queen.

R: Wha.? Oh, yes. (looks at the board, pauses for some time,
and then moves the queen).

P: (shakes head, moves knight), Check. 

(silence grows)

P: So, what ARE you thinking about. You're still not upset about not
getting that appointment are you? I mean, after all, there are more
schools, you've been working too ... what art you laughing at???
(angrily) what?  what?  (thinking that s/he has made some stupid
question *again8)

R: rotfl, no, no.  It's not you. It's just that, in a way, I'm glad that
they turned me down. I've been thinking for some time that I
really wanted to spend some time in France again.

P: And what does that mean about *us*?

R: Why do you say it like that?

P: You know I just signed a new contract! And here you go thinking about
just going off like that!!!!

R: You know the thing that I like about you is that you can always take
two and two and put them together and get apple. 

P: (looks at him, fixes him with "that stare". And then sez)  So, what
 on year from now, two, three?  (pauses), four??? five?

R: Well, I figure 2 years to take French, another 2 or 3 just come up
to speed on the Gorky's work, and then at least 1 or 2 years of
solid travel to various museums to compare their works. So, I'd say,
2 years here, 1 or 2 on the road, and then sometime in 2009 or
2010 on to PARIS, Pont Aven!  Now where are my ski's and of
course I'll have to get my shots, I heard that they had a very
serious case of chloee-nism break out there last year. (starts
off to search through the closet)

P:  So, which grand wind mill is it this time? Cassat's secret lover?
Oh, I know, some indication that Modigliani was actually an anarchist
spy for the Czar.  (silence, and then, shaking her/his head slowly,
and then gathering speed) No, No.  No.  Not that, you can't

R: Yes, but you didn't hear Pendereski's talk, remember you said
you couldn't think of anything more boring than to attend yet another
re-assesment of Gorky's work by some hack reviewer. 

P: You're mad!  (actually) You are actually stark, raving mad!
He was a hack. Even Cezanne said so.

R: (turning from the closet) Who's a hack? Gorky?  Are you trying to...

P: (voice rising to a near-shout) You know who I mean. Your 
ultimate poster child of the  un-celbrated artist:  EMIT BERNARD!

R: (sheepishly, turning back to the closet)  mumble

P: What?  (silence, then more level-voiced) What did you say?

R: I said it's Emil Bernard, not Emit.  (turns back to closent and
then a few seconds later, turns back from the closet and sez)
Also, Queen to Kings Bishop 8, check mate.

(fade to black) 



Chronology


Important Works