View of Cagnes 2 by André Derain

This beautiful Provençal village landscape illustrates the artist’s aesthetic transition towards more structured and geometric compositions, announcing the beginnings of modern cubism. Harmoniously integrating the name of the artist Derain André, this work entitled “View of Cagnes 2” celebrates the light and structure of the landscapes of the South of France. The painter shows a new sensitivity for the organization of space through contrasting colored planes. This geometric vision gives the whole a great formal stability.

The village extends in the middle of a valley surrounded by rolling hills in shades of brown, green, and brick red under a sky heavy with blue clouds. The dwellings squeeze against each other, displaying facades of ocre yellow, cream, and sand beige. Their tiled roofs, painted in shades of orange and terracotta red, sketch a multitude of interlocking geometric planes. In the foreground, large trees with simplified shapes and dark green foliage bring an organic vegetal touch that contrasts with the straight lines of the houses. A low gray wall marks the lower limit of the composition, leading the gaze towards the stacked volumes of the village.

The mastery of oil painting is expressed in the synthetic treatment of shapes and the use of well-defined colored planes. By thus structuring the surface of the canvas, the artist demonstrates an exceptional craft skill, creating a work that is both vigorous and harmonious.