The Versatile Hand of Jacques-Samuel Bernard In the vibrant, sun-drenched era of seventeenth-century France, few artists navigated the shifting tides of artistic medium and religious identity as gracefully as Samuel Bernard. Born in Paris in 1615 to a Protestant family, his life was a testament to the enduring power of talent amidst social upheaval. As the son of the painter Noel Bernard, he was immersed in the language of color and f…