Brief aan Héloïse Bernard-Bodin c. 1895

This is a letter from March 1895 by the French artist Émile Bernard. Bernard was a Post-Impressionist painter, known for his association with artists like Gauguin and Van Gogh. The letter, addressed to Héloïse Bernard-Bodin, offers us an intimate glimpse into Bernard’s state of mind. He describes a week of intense work, a struggle that left him scattered and speaks to his anxieties and concerns about how his painting responds to his needs. He emphasizes faith in God, against human needs, as what determines the future. Bernard's artistic journey was marked by a search for spiritual meaning and a rejection of materialism, a theme that appears to resonate through his written words as well. The emotional intensity of the letter reflects the broader fin-de-siècle anxieties about faith, identity, and the role of the artist in a rapidly changing world. In closing, the letter is both a personal communication and a reflection of the larger cultural and spiritual currents that shaped Bernard's life and work. It provides insight into the emotional landscape of an artist grappling with his purpose and beliefs.