Valère Bernard

Valère Bernard was a Provençal painter, engraver, novelist and poet, writing in the Occitan language. He left an important body of graphic work, and his works continued to be published after his death.

He was born in Marseille, though his family came originally from Avignon. At the age of 15 he entered the École des beaux-arts, Marseille, to study under Joanny Rave (1827-1887). Accepted by the École des beaux-arts, Paris, he was taught by Alexandre Cabanel and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes.

In 1896 his discovery of Félicien Rops immediately influenced his style of engraving and themes. He became friends with Alfons Mucha, who introduced him to the lithographic poster. Back in Marseille, his first exhibitions were greeted by critics with praise for his talent both in etching and in painting. Among other things, he produced a series of engravings entitled Guerro (1893-1895), variations around the theme of death, of great graphic intensity, inspired by Francisco Goya.

He then became friends with members of the Félibrige, a literary and cultural association dedicated to promoting the Occitan language of Provence, and composed his first poems in the Marseilles dialect, and then a work of fiction in which he showed all his sensitivity and his compassion for the humble and marginalized. He was elected majoral of the Félibrige in 1894, then Capoulié (chief) from 1909 to 1919. He proved to be in favour of a revival of the Occitan language in all its linguistic varieties, and composed, in a language which he developed to unify the Occitan and Catalan tongues, first Lugar, conte magic, and then La Legenda d'Esclarmonda which was published a few months before his death at the age of 76.

From 1930 to his death he was president of the Société d'études occitanes. On 22 March 1903 he was elected to the Académie de Marseille.

Valère Bernard is buried in the Cimetière Saint-Pierre, Marseille.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia, 2023