Artwork Details
Artist
Creation Date
Materials
Object Types
Dimensions
31-7/8 x 25-13/16 in.(canvas) 40-1/4 x 34 in. (framed, Optium)
Mark Description
signed lower left: Emile Bernard
Accession Number
Credit Line
Samuel Josefowitz Collection of the School of Pont-Aven, through the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc., the Josefowitz Family, Mr. and Mrs. James M. Cornelius, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard J. Betley, Lori and Dan Efroymson, and other Friends of the Museum
Copyright
Collection
European Painting and Sculpture 1800-1945
Color Palette
Provenance
Estate of the artist; to Elizabeth Bernard Altarriba, daughter of the artist, Paris;{1} purchased from her in 1959 by Samuel Josefowitz;{2} acquired as a partial gift, partial purchase by the IMA in 1998 (1998.173). {1} Elizabeth Bernard, or Mrs. Clément Altarriba, verified her ownership of this painting in a signed statement on the verso of a photographic reproduction: "Toile inachevée d'Emile Bernard, Provient de la collection de Madame Altarriba, Elizabeth Bernard, fille d'Emile Bernard." Her husband, Clément Altarriba, owned a gallery in Paris in the mid 1940s. {2} See Josefowitz inventory card, copy in IMA Provenance file (1998.173).
Gallery Labels
In this enigmatic scene, four women occupy a stark landscape. The red form looming behind them is probably a mound of seaweed, gathered by the Bretons for fertilizer.
The interlocking shapes bound by dark borders exemplify Cloisonism, a style Bernard developed in the mid-1880s, inspired by the outlines of cloisonné enamel or stained glass.
The canvas may be unfinished, but its emphasis on pure form and pattern approaches the fully abstract work of the next generation.
More from the Collection
Content Disclaimer and Usage Rights
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.
4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA 46208-3326 | 317-923-1331
Copyright © 2024 Newfields. All rights reserved.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MA-251861-OMS-22].