Brief aan Héloïse Bernard-Bodin c. 1894 - 1898

This is a letter to Héloïse Bernard-Bodin by the French artist Émile Bernard. While undated, the handwriting on graph paper offers a rare glimpse into the personal lives of artists during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bernard's letter creates meaning through his candid expression and the intimate act of handwriting. The use of graph paper, typically associated with mathematical precision, is in stark contrast to the emotional outpouring of the letter. France at this time was undergoing rapid social change. The Third Republic attempted to reconcile traditional values with progressive ideas, but in the realm of art, institutions like the Académie des Beaux-Arts maintained a conservative grip, valuing technical skill above subjective expression. This piece offers both a critique of such institutions and a move towards a more progressive form of expression through its rejection of traditional artistic conventions. Historians use letters like this alongside biographies, critical essays, and exhibition reviews to more fully understand the social conditions of artistic production. The meaning of art is contingent on such contexts.