Brief aan Héloïse Bernard-Bodin c. 1894

This is a letter in French, written by Émile Bernard in 1894 or 1895. Without knowing to whom the letter was addressed or what its contents might be, we might still see it as an artwork. How does this crumpled sheet speak to the relationship between artist and patron in 19th century France? The letter shows how artists depended on the support of friends, family, and other figures in the art world. The French art world was tightly controlled by the Académie des Beaux-Arts, but the success of the Impressionists had opened up new possibilities for artists to find alternative routes to success outside of these established institutions. To understand the significance of this letter, a historian might consult Bernard’s biographies or correspondences in a French archive. In this way we can come to understand art as more than just an aesthetic object, but as a product of its time.