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拍品專文
A striking piece from the pinnacle of Picabia’s lesser-known Impressionist phase, Les arbres en fleurs à Villeneuve-sur-Yonne (1906) is an example of the meticulous, refined quality of Picabia’s early career and serves as a precursor to his importance for the Dada and Surrealist movements.
Whilst many artists have been described to visit Impressionism 'in passing’, the movement held significant weight in launching Picabia’s affluent career. In 1903, Picabia experienced a sweeping success in four exhibitions in Paris; Salon des Indépendents, Salon de Mai, Salon d’Automne and Salon du Cercle Volney, where his landscapes interested many buyers. His work seemingly returned to the core of the Impressionist movement, ‘a personal perception of fleeting light and colour’ but with a fine-combed attention to detail and a precision which impressed even his peers, Pissarro’s sons. (W. Camfield, Francis Picabia, His Art, Life and Times, New York, 1979, p. 6).
By 1906, through his art studies and under the influence of Pissarro and Sisley, Picabia leaned closely to a style which aligned with the Impressionist movement - he adopted smaller brushstrokes which placed colours side by side, allowing them to interact with each other in mimicking light and shadow. It helped create the shimmer effect which is so synonymous with the Impressionist style and clear in the atmospheric landscape of Les arbres en fleurs à Villeneuve-sur-Yonne. The painting captures a subdued spring day with a hilltop view of a hazy town with rolling hills. A large focal tree almost stretches over the viewer, positioning them as if seated under the shade on the hill, and presents a sleepy haze, conjuring up atmosphere of a spring afternoon.
Soft hues of blue and green sweep across the sky to form a glaze of daylight blending the background in a glow. A bold light emanating from the right, illuminating the trees darkened with a bold green at the tips and the trees in the distance brighten as light bathes the composition. He cuts through the softness, building dimension, with a darkened orange earth, enhanced with balanced specks of deep blue and green. Contrasting the composition, Picabia divides the scene and grounds the viewer in their separation from the town. The awe of the magnitude of nature separates the viewer from the town behind. Picabia isolates the audience in a calm, protective manner, as his contact with nature represents a freer life, one he dreamed of as a child.
The painting, whilst closely attributed to the Impressionist movement, retains a diligent devotion to structure, and foreshadows Picabia’s later, more commonly known works, attributed to the Cubist movement. His work, regardless of the period of his life, depicts a unique interpretation of his subject matter, conveying his experiences and representing his artistic drive. For Picabia, art was intended to be an expression of the inexpressible (W. Camfield, op. cit., p. 16), a prelude of his evolving style and rich career.
Whilst many artists have been described to visit Impressionism 'in passing’, the movement held significant weight in launching Picabia’s affluent career. In 1903, Picabia experienced a sweeping success in four exhibitions in Paris; Salon des Indépendents, Salon de Mai, Salon d’Automne and Salon du Cercle Volney, where his landscapes interested many buyers. His work seemingly returned to the core of the Impressionist movement, ‘a personal perception of fleeting light and colour’ but with a fine-combed attention to detail and a precision which impressed even his peers, Pissarro’s sons. (W. Camfield, Francis Picabia, His Art, Life and Times, New York, 1979, p. 6).
By 1906, through his art studies and under the influence of Pissarro and Sisley, Picabia leaned closely to a style which aligned with the Impressionist movement - he adopted smaller brushstrokes which placed colours side by side, allowing them to interact with each other in mimicking light and shadow. It helped create the shimmer effect which is so synonymous with the Impressionist style and clear in the atmospheric landscape of Les arbres en fleurs à Villeneuve-sur-Yonne. The painting captures a subdued spring day with a hilltop view of a hazy town with rolling hills. A large focal tree almost stretches over the viewer, positioning them as if seated under the shade on the hill, and presents a sleepy haze, conjuring up atmosphere of a spring afternoon.
Soft hues of blue and green sweep across the sky to form a glaze of daylight blending the background in a glow. A bold light emanating from the right, illuminating the trees darkened with a bold green at the tips and the trees in the distance brighten as light bathes the composition. He cuts through the softness, building dimension, with a darkened orange earth, enhanced with balanced specks of deep blue and green. Contrasting the composition, Picabia divides the scene and grounds the viewer in their separation from the town. The awe of the magnitude of nature separates the viewer from the town behind. Picabia isolates the audience in a calm, protective manner, as his contact with nature represents a freer life, one he dreamed of as a child.
The painting, whilst closely attributed to the Impressionist movement, retains a diligent devotion to structure, and foreshadows Picabia’s later, more commonly known works, attributed to the Cubist movement. His work, regardless of the period of his life, depicts a unique interpretation of his subject matter, conveying his experiences and representing his artistic drive. For Picabia, art was intended to be an expression of the inexpressible (W. Camfield, op. cit., p. 16), a prelude of his evolving style and rich career.