Post-Impressionism

School of Pont-Aven

a symbolist art-movement

Émile Bernard: 1888, SDbl, L121, La Moisson (Pont-Aven), 45x56, Orsay (iR10;iR6;iR66;R181II,p513;M1) Provenance: Mme Gloannec; Gauguin; Vollard. — Émile Bernard: 1888, SDbl, L121, La Moisson (Pont-Aven), 45×56, Orsay (iR10;iR6;iR66;R181II,p513;M1) Provenance: Mme Gloannec; Gauguin; Vollard.

Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1888, Apple Pickers at Pont-Aven, 76x62, private (iR2) — Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1888, Apple Pickers at Pont-Aven, 76×62, private (iR2)

Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1892, Pink Street in Pont-Aven, 115x83, A2013/12/04 (iR10;iR14;iR2) — Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1892, Pink Street in Pont-Aven, 115×83, A2013/12/04 (iR10;iR14;iR2)

School of Pont-Aven:
Pont-Aven is a small village in Brittany. Many painters dwelled there since 1873. Gauguin visited it frequently from 1886-89 and became the leader of the Pont-Aven school. But it was Bernard, who was inspired by Anquetin, who influenced Gauguin. December 1903 Émile Bernard wrote about the ‘École dite de Pont-Aven’. (R181II,p628). For them only colour and form were the actual bearers of meaning (R172,p81). They used pure colours (R74,p293).

In the summer of 1886 the following artists met in Pont-Aven at the Pension Gloanec: Gauguin, Laval (who becomes Gauguin’s pupil), Bernard (but he doesn’t speak with Gauguin), Schuffenecker (just shortly). Several of them were (former) pupils of the studios of Léon Bonnat and Fernand Cormon (Anquetin, Bernard, Laval, Toulouse-Lautrec and also Vincent van Gogh). (R181,p353). During these meetings there were no great developments in their painting style. This would happen in the late summer of 1888 in the interaction between Bernard and Gauguin that Synthetism emerged.

Others present in Pont-Aven at the Pension Gloanec were: Henri de Chamaillard (1865-1930), Moret, Maxime Maufra, Jourdan, Grouchi-Taylor, Sérusier.

Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1886, Sbr, Street in Pont-Aven, 43x60, VGM Amsterdam (M73) — Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1886, Sbr, Street in Pont-Aven, 43×60, VGM Amsterdam (M73)

Charles Laval (1861-94): 1888, SDbc, On the way to market, Brittany, 38x46, MA Indianapolis (iR6;iR10;iR373;iR7;iR19;R181II,p437;M165) =? V1889-85, Allant au marché - Bretagne — Charles Laval (1861-94): 1888, SDbc, On the way to market, Brittany, 38×46, MA Indianapolis (iR6;iR10;iR373;iR7;iR19;R181II,p437;M165) =? V1889-85, Allant au marché – Bretagne

Charles Laval (1861-94): 1888, Bathers, 46x65, Kh Bremen (iR10;iR64;iR6;iR19;M58) = V1889-94, Dans la mer — Charles Laval (1861-94): 1888, Bathers, 46×65, Kh Bremen (iR10;iR64;iR6;iR19;M58) = V1889-94, Dans la mer

Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1886, SDbl, Young Breton at Pont-Aven, 52x45, A2006 (iR2;iR10;iR15;M73) — Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1886, SDbl, Young Breton at Pont-Aven, 52×45, A2006 (iR2;iR10;iR15;M73)

Paul Sérusier (1864-1927): 1893, The Downpour, 74x60, Orsay (iR2;iR23;M1) — Paul Sérusier (1864-1927): 1893, The Downpour, 74×60, Orsay (iR2;iR23;M1)

Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1888, SDbl, Bretonnes au goémon, wc+g, 27x41, MDMD Saint-Germain-en-Lays (iR23;iR19;M214) =V1889, no.80 or 81 or 82, Croquis à Pont-Aven - Aquarelle — Émile Bernard (1868-1941): 1888, SDbl, Bretonnes au goémon, wc+g, 27×41, MDMD Saint-Germain-en-Lays (iR23;iR19;M214) =V1889, no.80 or 81 or 82, Croquis à Pont-Aven – Aquarelle

Pouldu:
In 1889 and 1890 Pont-Aven had been exchanged for Pouldu, part of Plouézec at the north coast of Brittany. The following artists met here: Gauguin and post-impressionists like Laval, Meyer de Haan, Charles Filliger, Sérusier and Seguin.

Charles Filiger (1863-1928): 1892ca, Landscape at Pouldu, gouache, 26x39, MBA Quimper (M208;iR6;R470,p45) — Charles Filiger (1863-1928): 1892ca, Landscape at Pouldu, gouache, 26×39, MBA Quimper (M208;iR6;R470,p45)

Note: Renoir did recommend Pont-Aven and it’s surroudings to Murer in an undated letter (R218,no81). Another letter he wrote from Pont-Aven (R218,no.78/72).

Sources: Maillard (1968,p292-294); Crussard (2002=R181,p600-602+608-615); R3,p689; see links for more info on the Pont-Aven painters (iR3), the school of Pont-Aven (iR3) and more in French (iR4).

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