Christian Berard: Painter of genres, nudes, portraits, decors, fashion illustrator, and costume designer, who worked for Balanchine in ballet. Student at the Académie Ranson in Paris 1920. He exhibited at the Surindépendants de Paris, in the US and Brasil. Affectionally, known to his friends as Bébé

It has been said that his style was infuenced by the line of Maurice Denis and the colors of Bonnard and Vuillard. From his early career he was interested theatre set and costume designs for which he played an important part in its developmet during the 30s and 40s. Also known for his fashion designs he worked for Chanel and Nina Ricci.

His work is filled with with affectivity and poetry. He knew how to stylize forms and to accentuate contrasts by honest colors. His works for the theatre shows, generally, a monochromic architecture, underlined by white and highlighted by the bright tone of the costumes.

For Jean Cocteau: The Comédie Française : La Voix humaine (1930), La Machine infernale (1934), L¹École des femmes (1936), Don Juan (1947), Renaud et Armide. The Film: La Belle et la Bête (1946). Complete works by Arthur Rimbaud. Four Tales by J. Kessel ; La Bonne Vie by Galtier-Boissière. Louis Jouvet: La Folle de Chaillot, by J. Giraudoux (1945). Ballets of Monte-Carlo: La Symphonie fantastique (1936), La Septième Symphonie (1938). The Ballets des Champs-Élysées: Les Forains (1945), La Rencontre (1948).

To know more about this flamboyant and creative genius read Christian Berard by Boris Kochno and published by Herscher, Paris 1987.