Untitled (Chapel)

Painted in 1889, Untitled (Chapel) is a work by Émile Bernard, now in the collection of Brooklyn Museum, that reflects the artistic concerns of the late 19th century — an era of fundamental transformation in both the methods and purposes of European and American painting. Émile Bernard played a crucial but contested role in the Post-Impressionist revolution. His development of Cloisonnism at Pont-Aven and his close dialogue with both Gauguin and Van Gogh place him at the intersection of multiple avant-garde developments, yet he later claimed greater credit for the Synthetist movement than most historians allow.

Bernard developed Cloisonnism — flat areas of strong color enclosed within dark outlines, inspired by medieval enamelwork and Japanese woodblock prints. His palette is bold and non-naturalistic, and his handling of paint is flat and summary.