Death of the Horseman 1892

Emile Bernard made this print, Death of the Horseman, using woodcut – a relief printing process. The image is carved into a block of wood, then inked and pressed onto paper. You can see the character of the wood grain itself in the parallel lines that define forms and shading. Bernard has used this to great effect, especially in the landscape surrounding the figures. The softness of the linework gives the image a gentle quality, despite its sombre theme. Bernard, like other artists in the late 19th century, was drawn to the relative simplicity and directness of woodcut, with its associations with folk art and medieval printmaking. This aesthetic was a deliberate rejection of industrial modes of production and a celebration of handcraft. The use of multiple blocks, each inked with a different colour, also speaks to Bernard’s interest in the expressive potential of colour and its ties to symbolist ideas. Ultimately, understanding the artwork involves appreciating the connection between its material, method, and cultural meaning.