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Lot Essay
Painted circa 1924, Paysage de Cagnes is a swirling mass of colour and energy that dates from the height of Soutine's so-called 'Cagnes Period'. His pictures from between 1923 and 1925 were filled with a new lightness and appreciation of colour that flavoured not only his famous paintings of Cagnes, which lent the period its name, but also his other works from the same years.
This period marked a watershed in Soutine's life and his work. Soutine had painted landscapes previously, especially those of Céret from 1919 to 1922, but these tended to be brooding, dark coagulations of mass and oils. By contrast, Paysage de Cagnes is filled with the light of the Midi, with the bright buildings gleaming on the hilltop. The same convulsive application that had appeared a burden in Soutine's Céret paintings is here an exuberant rush of energy that results in a dancing, shifting landscape.
As well as reflecting the light and landscape of the South of France, the Cagnes Period paintings came as a release because of the patronage of the American industrialist, Dr. Albert C. Barnes, who had bought a large group of Soutine's paintings in 1923. He now gained recognition, his paintings sold for higher prices, and he no longer had to worry about food and finances. This relief filled his paintings, which became energetic celebrations of life. Paysage de Cagnes is filled with movement, with a frenetic desire to capture everything, and as a result gives not only a sense of the landscape, but also of the artist's very real enjoyment of it.
After passing through the hands of his friend and dealer Zborowski, Paysage de Cagnes was owned by another important figure in the artist's life, Madeleine Castaing. She and her husband Marcel were to have a huge impact on Soutine's life beginning in 1927, when their friendship began. They collected Soutine's pictures and, after Zborowski's death, looked after him a great deal, acting as his patrons and providing vital emotional support for the tormented artist.
This period marked a watershed in Soutine's life and his work. Soutine had painted landscapes previously, especially those of Céret from 1919 to 1922, but these tended to be brooding, dark coagulations of mass and oils. By contrast, Paysage de Cagnes is filled with the light of the Midi, with the bright buildings gleaming on the hilltop. The same convulsive application that had appeared a burden in Soutine's Céret paintings is here an exuberant rush of energy that results in a dancing, shifting landscape.
As well as reflecting the light and landscape of the South of France, the Cagnes Period paintings came as a release because of the patronage of the American industrialist, Dr. Albert C. Barnes, who had bought a large group of Soutine's paintings in 1923. He now gained recognition, his paintings sold for higher prices, and he no longer had to worry about food and finances. This relief filled his paintings, which became energetic celebrations of life. Paysage de Cagnes is filled with movement, with a frenetic desire to capture everything, and as a result gives not only a sense of the landscape, but also of the artist's very real enjoyment of it.
After passing through the hands of his friend and dealer Zborowski, Paysage de Cagnes was owned by another important figure in the artist's life, Madeleine Castaing. She and her husband Marcel were to have a huge impact on Soutine's life beginning in 1927, when their friendship began. They collected Soutine's pictures and, after Zborowski's death, looked after him a great deal, acting as his patrons and providing vital emotional support for the tormented artist.