Brief aan Héloïse Bernard-Bodin 1878 - 1941

This is a letter written by the French artist Émile Bernard to Héloïse Bernard-Bodin, sometime around the turn of the 20th century. We see the artist’s handwriting covering the page in elegant, looping script. Bernard’s symbolist leanings are evident in his written lamentations. Note the line "Living, here is his face. He died a soft death. To range you among the elect. To put you back in life, O darling." Bernard seems consumed by notions of life, death, and spiritual existence. The letter is replete with religious references to God and Jesus. To understand this letter more fully, it would be valuable to research Bernard’s personal life, including his religious beliefs, the nature of his relationship with Héloïse Bernard-Bodin, and the circumstances of his life at the time it was written. Social and institutional contexts shaped even a private communication like this.