A still river, a few houses nestled behind the trees, the first colors of autumn, and in the water, an entire landscape that begins anew. This oil painting possesses that quite rare quality of successful landscapes: it appears peaceful at first glance, then reveals itself to be much more elaborate when viewed closely. The painter constructed their composition around the water. It occupies almost half of the painting and becomes a second landscape, shifting and luminous, reflecting the trees, facades, and rooftops. The browns and greens of the banks then give way to an astonishingly rich palette of blues, silvery grays, mauves, pinks, and some turquoise highlights. The brushstrokes remain visible. Some are short and nervous, others wider. The colors are layered without attempting to hide the painter's brushwork. The impasto is very present and gives this rural scene a light that far transcends simple decorative painting. The work bears a very legible signature in the lower left: A. HASSE. Our research leads us to suggest an attribution to André Hasse, a Burgundian painter linked to Givry, in Saône-et-Loire, and a former student of the Beaux-Arts in Paris. His work continues a tradition of painting dedicated to landscape, color, and this quest for light inherited from Impressionism. André Hasse is among the Burgundian artists presented in 2007 at the 42nd Grand Prix de Barbizon, an event organized around the Jacques Boitiat Academy. This attribution is deliberately presented as such and not as a definitive authentication. The frame alone is worth dwelling on. Large and deeply molded, it is adorned with a significant gilded frieze of leaves and palmettes. A wide, light coving, edged with gilded fillets, creates a breathing space around the painting before guiding the eye towards the landscape. Its patina and minor irregularities give it the depth characteristic of frames that have aged gracefully. Its muted golds respond to the autumnal foliage, the earth, and the rooftops of the landscape. The ensemble measures approximately 56 x 50 cm. Some marks and traces of time are visible on the painting and the frame, consistent with the age of the ensemble.
Additional details:
- Brand: André Hasse
- Designer: André Hasse
- Style: École française
- Material: Huile
- Material: Dorure
- Colour: brun
- Colour: gris argenté
- Colour: mauve