'Row of Plane Trees In Winter - Maussane-les-Alpilles' by Yves Brayer (1946)

'Row of Plane Trees In Winter - Maussane-les-Alpilles', Provence, watercolour and pencil on art paper, by Yves Brayer (1946). A line of Plane trees greets visitors to almost every village in the South of France. Napoleon ordered the lining of roads with them (and other tall trees like Ash, Elms and Chestnuts) to provide ample shade for his marching troops. The trees were cleverly planted to demarcate curves, crossroads and intersections. This artwork depicts those trees in Maussane, a lovely village in the Alpilles region of Provence, not far from St. Remy. A lone figure walks at the end of the thoroughfare - not uncommon in the quieter winter months of the region when Parisians have returned to the capitol and visitors are scarce. The artwork is in good overall condition and has been newly framed and glazed with anti-reflective glass. The artist has signed, located and dated the work in the lower right hand. Upon request a video will be provided.

About the Artist: Yves Brayer (1907-1990) was born in Versailles, France. Determined to be an artist from an early age, he set out for Paris in 1924, initially studying at the academies in Montparnasse, and from there he attended the École des Beaux-Arts. Whilst still a student he exhibited at the Salon d’Automne and the Salon des Indépendants, and in 1927 Brayer left Paris for Spain with the aid of a state grant to enable him to study the works of the Spanish Masters in the Prado. 

On his return to Paris in 1934 he exhibited a collection of paintings inspired by his travels in Europe and Morocco to great acclaim. Having moved south to Cordes in the Tarn region of France after the War, Brayer then discovered the area which was to have the greatest artistic influence on his work: Provence. 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 made several trips to Mexico, Egypt, Iran, Greece, Russia, Turkey, USA and Japan where he was quick to grasp the unique rhythm and light of each country.

A large collection of Yves Brayer’s paintings are on permanent display both at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Cordes, in the Salle Yves Brayer and at the Musée Yves Brayer in Les Baux de Provence, as well as various museums in other parts of France and elsewhere. He was awarded the Legion of Honour in France and is a celebrated international artist whose artworks continue to increase in value. Yves Brayer died in 1990.

Dimensions with frame:

H 35 cm / 13.8"

W 41 cm / 16.1"

Dimensions without frame:

H 20 cm / 7.9"

W 27 cm / 10.6"