Between the light of worldly life and the silence of the studio, Christian Bérard's artistic trajectory ignores the compartmentalization between the different artistic disciplines. From the page to the painting, through the press, the theatre and the cinema, he has adapted and brought to life his plastic vocabulary.
Born in the 7th arrondissement when the 20th century was two years old, Christian Bérard, after studying at the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly, entered the Académie Ranson in 1920. His painting quickly reflected the influence of Édouard Vuillard and Maurice Denis.
Christian Jacques Bérard (1902-1949)
Imaginary decoration
Gouache on paper, circa 1933
Result : 2665 euros
Five years later, the artist exploded with his first works at the Galerie Pierre before beginning a fruitful collaboration with Jean-Michel Frank, a great figure of Art Deco. The painted panels and carpet designs that the two artists created inspired the fashion designers Coco Chanel and Nina Ricci.
During the second half of the 1920s, Christian Bérard was a member of the "neo-humanist" group, defended by the critic Waldemar George. Attracted to the stage from the beginning of his career, he was one of the leading decorators and costume designers in Paris in the 1930s and 1940s.
Christian Bérard (1902-1949)
Portrait of a woman, circa 1930
Watercolour and India ink on paper
13,5 x 13 cm
Estimation : 600 - 900 euros
This transdisciplinary dimension of his production led him to work with, among others, Jean Cocteau and Louis Jouvet. His creations will accompany La Machine infernale (1934), L'École des femmes (1935) La Folle de Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux (1945) and Les Bonnes by Jean Genet (1947). The critics notably retained his contribution in 1946 in Jean Coteur's film, Le Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast).
At the centre of an important network of artists and intellectuals, he was linked to several magazines, including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, for which he produced illustrations. Christian Bérard died suddenly on February 12, 1949 during rehearsals at the Théâtre Marigny des Fourberies de Scapin of his friend Louis Jouvet.