27 Paintings from Émile‏ Henri Bernard's ten year stay in Egypt, with footnotes

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

A Seated Oriental Beauty

Oil on canvas

39¾ x 38 in. (101 x 96.5 cm.)

Private collection

Sold for USD 42,000 in Apr 2007

A strong light illumines the figure, reducing the background to a dark plane and yet does not diminish the sense of real dimension. The figure has a certain dignity in countenance, unlike the languid and coy expressions of many other Orientalist models. Bernard conveys his deep visual interest in the subject, carefully recording the items surrounding her. Such objects he would have seen on his travels through Tunisia and Egypt: rosewood clogs inlaid with mother-of-pearl, an ivory fan, gold necklaces and clustered bracelets, a carved-wood Moresque table and a variety of rich fabrics. Bernard's virtuosity is demonstrated in the rendering of silk in the figure's North African dress as well as the model's legs which are expertly painted to show through the sheer material while maintaining her modest beauty. More on this painting

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

L'Egyptienne, c. 1902

Oil on canvas

177.5 x 95 cm. (69.9 x 37.4 in.)

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

EGYPTIENNE ACCROUPIE/ CROUCHING Egyptian, c. 1895

Oil on canvas

65 x 81 cm. (25.6 x 31.9 in.)

Private collection

Emile Bernard

Vision of Egypt, c. 1898-1899

Oil on linen canvas

179 x 118 cm

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Women on the banks of the Nile, c. 1900

Oil on canvas

height: 200cm; width: 300cm

  Lille Palace of Fine Arts

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Femmes et enfants au bord du Nil, c. 1897

Oil on canvas

h: 180 w: 120 cm

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Les porteuses d'eau/ The water carriers, c. 1894–1894

Oil on canvas

42.5 x 66 cm. (16.7 x 26 in.)

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Water carriers, c. 1894

Oil on canvas

89 x 78 cm 

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

THREE WOMEN BY THE RIVER

Oil on canvas

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Bread sellers in Cairo or The market in Cairo, c. 1895

Oil on canvas

Height: 43 Width: 60 cm

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Les Égyptiennes, c. 1895

Oil on canvas

50.2 x 61 cm

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Marchands de fruits au Caire/ Fruit vendors in Cairo, c. 1897

Oil on canvas

h: 180 w: 120 cm

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Egyptiennes, c. 1895

Oil on canvas

50 X 60 Cm

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

AU BORD DU NIL/ ON THE EDGE OF THE NILE, c. 1900

Oil on canvas

120 x 120 cm

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Banks of the Nile at Marg, evening effect

Oil on canvas

55 x 44,5 cm ; 21 3/4 by 17 1/2 in

Private collection

El Marg is an administrative ward of Cairo, in the north-east of the Cairo Governorate,

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

YOUNG WOMAN BREASTFEEDING, c. 1895

Oil on canvas

46.5 by 65cm

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

THE FELLAHS (THE EGYPTIAN TERRASSIERS; ARAB WORKERS, c. 1895

Oil on canvas

82 by 108.1cm., 32 1/4 by 42 1/2 in

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Arab camp, Beduinlager , c. 1902

Oil on canvas

195 x 229 cm.

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Baigneuses au Bord du Nil, 1893

Oil on canvas

86.5 x 66 cm

Private collection

Estimated for CHF 70,000 - CHF 90,000 in June 2017

This painting, which was created shortly after his arrival in Egypt, is a typical example of Bernard's work from that period. Androgynous water bearers and bathers on the banks of the Nile are nude, only adorned by bracelets and anklets, as he often depicted at the time. Presenting a strong contrast to this is a seated elderly woman dressed in black robes. She is likely a nun, as Bernard found shelter in a religious order during that time and later married a Syrian Christian. He was additionally fascinated by the contrasts and connections between nature and religion. More on this painting

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Arab Festival, c. 1894

Oil on canvas

84 x 110 cm

Musée National des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie, Paris.

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Femmes fellahs au bain, c. 1900

Oil on wood pane

height: 175.7cm; width: 97.3cm

Musée des beaux arts de Reims

Painted in 1900, Femmes fellah au bain is a sort of synthesis between classical culture, to which he returned at that time, and his passion for the Orient. Indeed, Bernard uses large pink and green touches that he structures with a few superimposed white squares. This blurred and colorful style corresponds to his youthful plastic research and contrasts with the very naturalistic bodies of the three women in the foreground. The colors are warm but not flashy, the touch is long and quick, visible in places. The artist expresses in this work a sensual intimacy but without voyeurism. Seized at the time of their toilet, these women seem to be posing for the artist. More on this painting

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

The exotic dancer, c. 1915

Oil on canvas

128.6 x 80.7 cm

Private collection

This painting, his own Odalisque, features a level of naturalism that is quite new to Bernard's work but certainly in keeping with his determination to return to "tradition" and to reject emerging avant garde experimentation.

In this erotically-charged painting, the sensuous female figure, whose breasts are nearly completely exposed and who wears luxurious garments carefully described by Bernard and intended to read as "exotic," glances off to her right rather than meeting the gaze of the viewer. More on this painting

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Danseuse nue/ Nude dancer, c. 1894

Oil on canvas

cm 150x94

Private collection

Sold for  €4,000 EUR in June 2019

Emile Bernard Nude Dancing Girl with Henna Tatoos and bangles, a veiled woman sitting next to her, cloth, curtain and a vase nearby.

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Danseuse orientale/ Belly dancer

Oil on canvas

106 x 75 cm. (41.7 x 29.5 in.)

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

Danseuse des rues/ Street dancer, c. 1898

Oil on canvas

180 x 120 cm. (70.9 x 47.2 in.)

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

In the harem

Oil on board

42 x 29¾ in. (106 x 75.4 cm.)

Private collection

Émile‏ Henri Bernard

AU HAREM

Oil on canvas

42 1/2 by 55 1/2 in. 108 by 141 cm

Private collection

Émile Henri Bernard's most formative artistic years were spent in the city of Paris where the Impressionist style had arisen and dominated the avant-garde scene into the 1880s. He immersed himself in the arts, attending exhibitions and visiting galleries and studying at the École des Arts Décoratifs beginning in 1884. He also trained at the well-respected Atelier Cormon, the studio of the artist and teacher, Fernand Cormon. There he met Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, with him he formed a lasting friendship. Eventually, he was dismissed for "insubordinate behavior" and thus the radical young artist struck out on his own.

Bernard's close friendships with Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh, two of the most influential artists of the Post-Impressionist period, proved fruitful in many ways, not least of which was the trio's intense co-experimentation; frequently, the produced works in identical themes and also made portraits of one another. Bernard maintained an extensive personal correspondence with Van Gogh and the letters they exchanged provide a unique window into the relationship. It is said that he was the first person to become aware of the importance of Van Gogh's work. Interestingly, Van Gogh's criticism of his work, particularly the biblical themes, prompted Bernard to end the correspondence. In the late 1880s, Bernard developed his unique Cloisonnist and Synthetist styles, which were extraordinarily influential for artists such as Gauguin, Anquetin, and Sérusier. More on Émile Henri Bernard

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.