Christian Bérard

Christian Bérard
Christian Bérard self-portrait, 1948
BornAugust 20, 1902
Paris, France
DiedFebruary 11, 1949(1949-02-11) (aged 46)
Paris, France
Other namesBebè

Christian Bérard (20 August 1902 – 11 February 1949), also known as Bebè, was a French artist, fashion illustrator and designer.

Bérard and his lover Boris Kochno, who worked for the Ballets Russes and was also co-founder of the Ballets des Champs-Elysées, were one of the most prominent openly homosexual couples in French theater during the 1930s and 1940s.[1]

Early life

Born in Paris in 1902, Bérard studied at the Lycée Janson de Sailly as a child. In 1920, he entered the Academie Ranson, where his style was influenced by Édouard Vuillard and Maurice Denis.[citation needed]

Career

Bérard showed his first exhibition in 1925, at the Gallery Pierre. From the start of his career, he had an interest in theatrical scenery and costume designs, and played an important role in the development of theatrical design in the 1930s and 1940s. In the early 1930s, Bérard worked with Jean-Michel Frank, painting screens, wood-work and drawing projects for carpets.[citation needed]

In 1935, his friend Solange d'Ayen helped Vogue magazine editor-in-chief Edna Woolman Chase persuade him to work for Vogue as a fashion illustrator.[2][3]

He also worked as a fashion illustrator for Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Nina Ricci. Bérard's most renowned achievement was probably his lustrous, magical designs for Jean Cocteau's film La Belle et la Bête (1946).[4]

Bérard died suddenly from a heart attack on 11 February 1949, on the stage of the Théâtre Marigny. Francis Poulenc's Stabat Mater (1950) was composed in his memory, and Jean Cocteau dedicated his film Orphée (1950) to him.[5]

References

  1. ^ Claude J. Summers (2005). The Queer Encyclopedia of Film & Television. Cleis Press. pp. 260–. ISBN 978-1-57344-209-1.
  2. ^ Rowlands, Penelope (12 November 2008). A Dash of Daring: Carmel Snow and Her Life In Fashion, Art, and Letters. Atria Books. p. 203. ISBN 9780743480451. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023. Chase snatched up Bérard, luring him away from Bazaar in 1935 with the help of his great friend Solange d'Ayen.
  3. ^ Borrelli-Persson, Laird (21 July 2022). "Christian Bérard Helped Shape Fashion History—The Artist Finally Gets His Due in a New Exhibition in Monaco". Vogue. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  4. ^ Hamburger, Andreas, ed. (2015). Women and images of men in cinema: gender construction in La Belle et la Bête by Jean Cocteau. London: Karnac. ISBN 978-1-78220-290-5. OCLC 930017259.
  5. ^ "ORPHEE". Festival de Cannes. 20 May 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2024.