The artist is indeed a cousin of the great Professeur Henri Bergson Ph.D. (1859-1941), member of the prestigious Acadamie Francaise and Nobel Prize winner in Literature in 1928 (before a prize existed specifically for philosophy). France was very proud of Dr. Bergson. Actually the whole world was electrified by the Professor's writings after the turn of the century. Theodore Roosevelt published an article praising Bergson in 1911. American philosophers John Dewey and William James sang Bergson's praise. Woodrow Wilson received Bergson in his role of Diplomat d'Etat. Both Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre were stimulated by Bergson's writings, and challenged by the Frenchman's philosophical system. They originally praised Bergson, then felt compelled to launch serious counterattacks against him. Nowadays it's hard to imagine this kind of popularity for a serious intellectual in the United States, or even in today's France. Back then, The New York Times recorded that Bergson's first visit to the U.S., a lecture appearance at Columbia University, precipitated one of Broadway's earliest traffic jams (the automobile was just beginning to proliferate along with its associated problems). Perhaps the recent popularity of Deepak Chopra can give us an idea of the celebrity status Bergson enjoyed. Chopra is another thinker whose writings about metaphysical and spiritual concepts enchanted the masses. Unfortunately for Bergson, his glory days were before cassettes and 900 numbers, but the professor had already garnered enough intellectual honors and royalties from his books to make himself quite comfortable. Henri Bergson's most famous book "Creative Evolution" was written in a style that was accessible, even enjoyable. The Professor, already recognized as one of France's most eminent thinkers, wrote in a way that miraculously made metaphysics clear to the average man. The professor's fame peaked in the 1920's. Bergson's books and name receded in importance over time, along with other works and figures notable in that epoch.
Adrian recounts his interesting life. He never tried to capitalize on the name of his illustrious cousin. Adrian's own accomplishments include a diploma from Oxford, honorable service in the British army, and at first a normal, then afterwards a very tough life as a starving artist in Paris.
Next Month -Part two
R.S. Levin is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles, California.
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