A striking 24×36 European School palette-knife floral painting attributed to Bernard, this richly textured oil on canvas features vivid autumnal flowers rendered in bold impasto. With its sculptural surface, expressive color palette, and mid-century modern decorative appeal, this artwork is ideal for collectors seeking vintage European florals, textured oil paintings, modernist still lifes, and large-format wall art acquired in Europe.
This large-format oil painting presents a dramatic floral still life in a tall vase, executed in a highly tactile palette-knife impasto style characteristic of mid-century European studios. The flowers—explosive bursts of reds, oranges, golds, and deep crimson—radiate outward with spiked petals that create a sunburst effect. The heavy, sculptural texture gives the composition depth and dimension, with thick layers of paint overlapping like carved relief.
The vase anchors the composition vertically, while the background is composed of abstracted, scraped layers of muted sage, cream, and pale ochre. These atmospheric tones contrast with the saturated blooms, creating a powerful visual tension between subtlety and intensity.
The artist’s signature “Bernard” appears at the lower left, matching numerous commercial European School florals produced for galleries and export houses during the 1950s–70s. The inspiration behind this work reflects a movement toward bold, design-forward still lifes during the mid-century period, where artists employed palette knives to emphasize texture, energy, and decorative dynamism rather than traditional realism.
The painting embodies the era’s fascination with dramatic surfaces and vibrant color harmonies—a blend of fine art and interior decorative sensibility. Its size and texture make it an impactful statement piece.
The signature “Bernard” is associated with a group of mid-20th-century European painters who specialized in palette-knife floral still lifes, modernist bouquets, and textured decorative works. These artists worked primarily in France, Belgium, and Italy between the 1950s and 1980s, producing paintings for local galleries, tourist districts, and export markets across Europe and North America.
Painters who used the Bernard signature often trained in regional academies or private ateliers, where they learned traditional oil techniques before adopting the thick impasto palette-knife style favored in mid-century decorative art. Their influences included:
The École de Paris, especially its modernist colorists
Post-Impressionist floral painters
Contemporary palette-knife artists emphasizing form and texture
Interior décor trends of the 1950s–70s favoring bold, expressive floral compositions
Works signed “Bernard” are typically recognized for:
Strong impasto and sculptural application of oil
Vivid color harmonies in reds, oranges, yellows, and greens
Modernist stylization rather than botanical realism
Large canvases intended for prominent display
Though individual biographical details cannot be assigned to a single painter, Bernard-signed works remain popular among collectors of vintage European decorative art, admired for their strong visual presence and mid-century aesthetic.
Bernard (European School, mid-20th century), “Autumn Blossoms” (attributed), oil on canvas, 24×36 in., signed lower left. Striking impasto floral still life with bold palette-knife texture and vivid autumnal hues.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Bernard (European School, mid-20th century)
Title: Autumn Blossoms (attributed)
Date: c. 1950s–1970s
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 24 × 36 inches
Signature: “Bernard,” lower left
Technique: Thick palette-knife impasto; mid-century floral still life
Condition: Excellent – strong impasto, stable surface, no restoration evident
Origin: Acquired in Europe
Authentication Basis:
Signature style, palette-knife technique, and subject matter consistent with Bernard-signed European School works of the mid-20th century.
European School painter using the signature Bernard
Private Collection, Europe
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Current Owner
A striking 24×36 European School palette-knife floral painting attributed to Bernard, this richly textured oil on canvas features vivid autumnal flowers rendered in bold impasto. With its sculptural surface, expressive color palette, and mid-century modern decorative appeal, this artwork is ideal for collectors seeking vintage European florals, textured oil paintings, modernist still lifes, and large-format wall art acquired in Europe.
This large-format oil painting presents a dramatic floral still life in a tall vase, executed in a highly tactile palette-knife impasto style characteristic of mid-century European studios. The flowers—explosive bursts of reds, oranges, golds, and deep crimson—radiate outward with spiked petals that create a sunburst effect. The heavy, sculptural texture gives the composition depth and dimension, with thick layers of paint overlapping like carved relief.
The vase anchors the composition vertically, while the background is composed of abstracted, scraped layers of muted sage, cream, and pale ochre. These atmospheric tones contrast with the saturated blooms, creating a powerful visual tension between subtlety and intensity.
The artist’s signature “Bernard” appears at the lower left, matching numerous commercial European School florals produced for galleries and export houses during the 1950s–70s. The inspiration behind this work reflects a movement toward bold, design-forward still lifes during the mid-century period, where artists employed palette knives to emphasize texture, energy, and decorative dynamism rather than traditional realism.
The painting embodies the era’s fascination with dramatic surfaces and vibrant color harmonies—a blend of fine art and interior decorative sensibility. Its size and texture make it an impactful statement piece.
The signature “Bernard” is associated with a group of mid-20th-century European painters who specialized in palette-knife floral still lifes, modernist bouquets, and textured decorative works. These artists worked primarily in France, Belgium, and Italy between the 1950s and 1980s, producing paintings for local galleries, tourist districts, and export markets across Europe and North America.
Painters who used the Bernard signature often trained in regional academies or private ateliers, where they learned traditional oil techniques before adopting the thick impasto palette-knife style favored in mid-century decorative art. Their influences included:
The École de Paris, especially its modernist colorists
Post-Impressionist floral painters
Contemporary palette-knife artists emphasizing form and texture
Interior décor trends of the 1950s–70s favoring bold, expressive floral compositions
Works signed “Bernard” are typically recognized for:
Strong impasto and sculptural application of oil
Vivid color harmonies in reds, oranges, yellows, and greens
Modernist stylization rather than botanical realism
Large canvases intended for prominent display
Though individual biographical details cannot be assigned to a single painter, Bernard-signed works remain popular among collectors of vintage European decorative art, admired for their strong visual presence and mid-century aesthetic.
Bernard (European School, mid-20th century), “Autumn Blossoms” (attributed), oil on canvas, 24×36 in., signed lower left. Striking impasto floral still life with bold palette-knife texture and vivid autumnal hues.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Bernard (European School, mid-20th century)
Title: Autumn Blossoms (attributed)
Date: c. 1950s–1970s
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 24 × 36 inches
Signature: “Bernard,” lower left
Technique: Thick palette-knife impasto; mid-century floral still life
Condition: Excellent – strong impasto, stable surface, no restoration evident
Origin: Acquired in Europe
Authentication Basis:
Signature style, palette-knife technique, and subject matter consistent with Bernard-signed European School works of the mid-20th century.
European School painter using the signature Bernard
Private Collection, Europe
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Current Owner
