Art of the month by Paul Derain
My latest idea is to share an art work of the month to muse on- and when I saw this I couldn’t wait to talk about it. If only because it delights and brightens up a Tuesday with its bold candy coloured hues. The Turning Road, L'Estaque by Paul Derain is from 1909 and is housed in the the Beck Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. I find it so sumptuous I could climb in and just meander in this alternate south of France utopia created by Derain. Maybe it’s me but I also find the gold, bronze and blasts of ruby red a fit for the autumnal season. I don’t know what month he actually painted it in, but for me it evokes cosy. I’m sitting at the edge of this temporal village scene (L’Estaque is a village near Marseille), soaking in the scorched heat, herby aromas and rich palette of primary shades.
Children would probably be equally drawn to this. But like a toy, the vivid simplicity is part of its charm. I imagine Derain to have been in fine fettle when he selected these colours. It’s the work of someone who wants to express exuberance or at the very least a love of the landscape. Cézanne painted in this area too, but to me it looks like Derain felt at home there. Anecdotally Derain made his way to southern France in 1905, joining Henri Matisse. Their developing new style was characterised by a juxtaposition of extreme colours, broad powerful brushwork, and a freedom from the need for any attempt at reproducing the objective world.Paintings from L’Estaque by Matisse and Derain were exhibited in the infamous Salon d'Automne or 1905 where the artists (and their cohorts) earned the disparaging title of “les Fauves” or the “wild beasts”. Which I think is wonderful. They were being subversive by showing these bigger, brighter depictions. There’s sunlight in every inch of this painting and I hope it brings a ray of it into your week.
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