Christian Bérard, 1902-1949 : Au Théâtre De La Vie

Exhibition at the Palais Lumière, Evian-les-Bains, 5 February - 22 May 2022

Painter, illustrator, stage and screen collaborator of Cocteau, Jouvet, Balanchine and Massine, fashion designer, friend of Chanel and Schiaparelli, Christian Bérard (1902-1949) was above all an artist. In his self-portraits, he displayed a sombre, worried or melancholic air, which certainly depicted a part of his personality. But when he left his studio, he would enjoy amusing improvisations with his friends Christian Dior, Georges Auric and Henri Sauguet, as well as memorable costume balls.

Living on the razor's edge, between negligee and evening dress, Christian Bérard is in himself a theatrical figure. This exhibition catalogue presents these two sides of the artist through a journey that leads from Christian, a young painter with a brilliant career ahead of him, to Bébé, the darling of Paris.