A Life of Travel and Observation
Évremond de Bérard was a French painter and lithographer who dedicated much of his life to documenting the world through his art. After studying in Paris under François-Édouard Picot, he began a journey that took him far beyond France. His travels included stays in Réunion, Mauritius, India, the Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Senegal, and Brazil. During his time in Réunion, he married Céleste Caroline Selhausen, and they later had a son named Gabriel in Paris.
His artistic output was deeply tied to his movements. Between 1852 and 1857, he produced numerous works in Guadeloupe and Martinique, and his travels also took him to Trinidad, Guyana, Panama, Jamaica, and Cuba. He was commissioned by agents of Emperor Napoleon III to create paintings for museums in Bergues and Carpentras, and he was invited by Empress Eugénie to attend the inauguration of the Suez Canal, which allowed him to create many drawings and paintings of Egypt.
Scientific Expeditions and Final Works
De Bérard’s work often intersected with scientific exploration. He was elected to the Société Impériale Zoologique d’Acclimatation in 1859 and later to the Société de Géographie. His technical skill was utilized for the French National Museum of Natural History, where he painted four wall panels in the Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology. In 1877, he was entrusted with an expedition to India to research anthropology and botany, specifically plant reproduction. This journey led him to the northern region of Kashmir, which inspired many of his watercolors and drawings.
In his later years, despite facing financial difficulties, he continued to exhibit. His final exhibition at the Salon took place in 1880. He passed away in Paris and was interred in the family vault at Père-Lachaise Cemetery.
