Bernard, Émile (1868-1941)
Christ jaune (Yellow Christ)
1889
Oil on canvas, 27-9/16 x 23-5/8 in.
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis
The artists of Pont-Aven were moved by the piety of the Breton people and often painted religious themes. Here Bernard presents Christ in the Garden of Olives, with Judas and a guard on the left and the angel bearing the chalice at right.
The sleeping disciples have crude, simplified faces that resemble the carved heads adorning the ceiling of Trémalo Chapel at Pont-Aven.
Typical of his Pont-Aven style, Bernard abandoned rules of perspective, stacking the figures against flat planes of vivid color. (IMA)
Compare:
Gauguin, Paul (1848-1903)
Le Christ jaune
1889
Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo