Landschap in Languedoc

The present collection contains strong examples of the work of Dutch artist Wim Oepts, who worked most of his life in the South of France. He is best known for his landscapes, composed of large areas of colour , often contrasting heavily and almost abstract. His bright colours reflect the light of the South of France. "In France I felt liberated", Oepts said. In 1933 he first visited Paris and later on he chose to live there permanently, until his death in 1988. There he was introduced to the work of (Post)Impressionists and Fauvists and became particularly attracted to the work of Bonnard, Matisse, Derain and De Stael. Struck by the beauty of the southern light in fishing villages as Collioure and St. Tropez he decided to radically alter his art. Oepts started to use more colour and began to paint with far looser brush strokes. The subject of his paintings from then onwards were village and harbour views. In the 1950's Oepts' compositions became more complex: the painted surface much overworked, layer over layer with brushstrokes that come from different angles, full of Mediterranean light. Oepts has always been supported by a group enthusiastic collectors of his work. In 2011 his work was honored with a large exhibition in the Kunsthal in Rotterdam.