'Snow in Provence' by Yves Brayer (circa 1960s)

'Snow in Provence', oil on board, by Yves Brayer (circa 1960s). A rare and atmospheric landscape by Yves Brayer, capturing an exceptional moment in the Provençal countryside. Snow in the elevated terrain of the Alpilles near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is a phenomenon that occurs perhaps once a decade—and Brayer clearly seized the opportunity to memorialise it under the region’s characteristically luminous blue sky. The composition is notable for its nuanced rendering of light and shadow: the silhouettes of bare winter trees stretch across untouched snow, their crisp lines playing against the sunlit whiteness and the rugged outcrops of the Alpilles in the distance. It is an evocative and atypical scene for the artist, whose palette here leans into winter’s cool contrasts with elegance and restraint.

The painting is in good overall condition and has recently been cleaned and preserved by an art restoration professional. It is also newly framed with a French-style linen slip and is signed by the artist in the lower left hand.

Dimensions with Frame:

H 40 cm / 15.7"

W 50 cm / 19.7"

Dimensions without Frame:

H 29.5 cm / 11.6"

W 39.5 cm / 15.6"

About the Artist: Yves Brayer (1907-1990) stands among the most celebrated modern French painters. Although he was faithful to the figurative tradition, his ample métier was enriched by his personal vision. His oeuvre proved to be very diverse, for besides his well-known landscapes, he also painted vast canvases, portraits and still lifes. A lover of Mediterranean landscapes, Yves Brayer sojourned in Morocco, Spain and Italy before settling down in Provence. There he was enchanted by the diverse and architectural forms of the Alpilles mountains, and by the vast expanse of the Camargue region with its ubiquitous white horses and black bulls. From then on he spent several months each year working in Provence. He also travelled internationally where he was quick to grasp the unique rhythm and light of each country. When he was in Paris in 1942, Jacques Rouché appointed Brayer costume-and-set designer for a ballet at the Opera de Paris. 

Brayer passed away in Paris in 1990. A large collection of his paintings are on permanent display both at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Cordes, France and at the Musée Yves Brayer in Les-Baux-de-Provence, as well as many regional museums in his home country. In the United States, Yves Brayer's works form part of the collection of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, among others.