Pierre-Joseph Bernard

Pierre-Joseph Bernard (26 August 1708 – 1 November 1775), called Gentil-Bernard by Voltaire for the measured grace of his discreetly erotic verses, was a French military man and salon poet with the reputation of a rake, the author of several libretti for Rameau.

He translated Ovid's Ars amatoria (L'Art de l'Amour) but never intended to publish it, or much else of his fugitive verses.

For Rameau Bernard also provided libretti for the operas Les surprises de l'Amour (1748) and Anacréon (1757).

In his book of biographical essays, Arsène Houssaye devoted a chapter to Gentil-Bernard, the "French Anacreon".

Arsène Houssaye asserted that "the poor poet had a devout niece for his heir, who burnt everything as a sacrifice except the will.