Artwork
La Promenade
La Promenade is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Émile Bernard. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1888, *La Promenade* is a lithographic print on wove paper, produced by Émile Henri Bernard. The image depicts three women strolling together in a garden setting, their figures outlined against a light‑green background punctuated by trees and shrubs. The composition conveys a tranquil, leisurely moment, characteristic of late‑nineteenth‑century French depictions of everyday life.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents three elegantly dressed women—each in a long coat and hat—walking side by side. Their varied attire, from dark to light tones and a striking purple coat with a red hat, emphasizes individuality within a shared activity. The serene atmosphere suggests a quiet social outing, reflecting contemporary interests in modern leisure and the subtle dynamics of female companionship.
Technique & Style
Bernard employed a zinc lithograph process, subsequently hand‑coloring the print on wove paper. The image is marked by bold, uniform outlines that simplify forms, a hallmark of Cloisonnism, while the flat areas of color echo the synthetic approach of Synthetism. These stylistic choices reduce detail to emphasize decorative surface and compositional harmony.
History & Provenance
*La Promenade* emerged during his involvement with the Cloisonnist and Synthetist movements, reflecting the experimental print practices of the period.
Bernard, a French Post‑Impressionist, worked within a circle that included Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Eugène Boch. *La Promenade* emerged during his involvement with the Cloisonnist and Synthetist movements, reflecting the experimental print practices of the period. The print has circulated among private collections and museum holdings, illustrating the broader dissemination of avant‑garde prints in the late 1800s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Émile Henri Bernard (French pronunciation: ; 28 April 1868 – 16 April 1941) was a French Post-Impressionist painter and writer, who had artistic friendships with Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Eugène Boch, and at a later time, Paul…
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