Earthware Pot and Apples - Émile Bernard
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
Secure checkout
Made to order
Description
A classic example of Cloisonnism, this still life by Émile Bernard uses bold outlines and flat colour to define simple forms.
This still life by Émile Bernard demonstrates the stylistic shift toward Cloisonnism, a movement he helped define alongside Paul Gauguin. The composition rejects traditional modelling and atmospheric perspective in favour of flat, distinct areas of colour enclosed by dark, heavy outlines. This technique, inspired by stained glass and Japanese woodblock prints, flattens the pictorial space and emphasises the two-dimensional surface of the canvas.
The arrangement of objects is deliberate and sparse. A dark, glazed earthenware pot sits centrally, flanked by a small green vessel and several pieces of fruit. The palette is restrained, relying on earthy tones, deep greens, and muted yellows to create a sense of quietude. Bernard avoids the soft transitions of light and shadow typical of academic painting, opting instead for bold, simplified forms that prioritise decorative clarity over realistic representation.
During the late 1880s, Bernard was active in Pont-Aven, where he experimented with these synthetic methods. By reducing the visual information to its essential components, he moved away from the observational rigour of Impressionism. The surface texture of the paint remains visible, adding a tactile quality to the otherwise graphic treatment of the subjects. This work captures a moment of transition in late nineteenth-century French art, where the focus shifted from capturing fleeting light to constructing images through deliberate, symbolic colour and line. The result is a composition that feels both archaic and modern, stripping away unnecessary detail to reveal the structural integrity of the objects depicted.
Return policy
Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Earthware Pot and Apples - Émile Bernard
Artist Biography
Emile Bernard
He was raised by his grandmother, who owned a laundry in Lille, because his younger sister was ill and required his parents' full attention. He entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris but was expelled for insubordination. At the Academie Cormon he met Toulouse-Lautrec and Van Gogh; his friendship with Van Gogh produced some of the most important letters in art history.
Bernard and Gauguin fell out definitively in 1891 over the paternity of Symbolism and cloisonnism. Bernard believed he had been written out of the story, which he had. He spent years writing criticism and art history to set the record straight, producing first-hand accounts of the period that remain primary sources.
His later work turned conservative. He travelled to Egypt, studied the Old Masters, and repudiated the avant-garde experiments of his youth. The early paintings, made between 1886 and 1897 when he was barely out of his teens, are the ones that matter. He was brilliant too young and spent the rest of his career looking backwards. His correspondence with Van Gogh, preserved and published, is one of the most direct records of how two young painters in the 1880s thought about colour, composition and what painting was for.
Why Choose Us ?
Damage-free delivery guarantee
Fast Shipping
Museum-Quality Materials
You May Also Like