Still life with teapot, cup and fruit 1890

Émile Bernard painted this still life with oil on canvas in 1891. At this time, French artists were turning away from the strictures of academic painting, and this work reflects that move toward a more individual expression. Bernard was part of the Pont-Aven School, a group of artists who gathered in Brittany to develop a style of painting that rejected realism in favour of symbolic and spiritual themes. The group was reacting against the industrialized world, seeking to create a simpler and more authentic way of life and artmaking. Note the flattened perspective, bold colors and simplified forms, all of which fly in the face of academic painting. Bernard was also interested in Japanese prints, which influenced his compositional choices. To understand this painting better, we might look at other works from the Pont-Aven School, study writings on symbolism, and examine the art market of Paris in the 1890s. In doing so, we see art as shaped by culture.