Technical information
- Title : Brittany
- Date : c. 1940
- Technique : Oil on canvas
- Dimensions : 33 × 41 cm
- Location : Private collection *
Biographical / historical context
In the early 1940s, Breuillaud alternated interior subjects with open-air views, often centred on the presence of water—rivers, ponds, coves or shorelines. These landscapes allowed him to explore tonal relationships and reflections, setting the stability of landmasses against the movement of the water’s surface.
In this scene, the painter favours a restrained, almost stormy atmosphere. A heavy sky and a muted palette place the work in a more sombre vein, where meteorological sensation becomes a compositional element in its own right.
Formal / stylistic description
The composition juxtaposes a broad expanse of water at the centre with rocky banks in the foreground. On the right, a group of bent trees stands out against the sky; on the left, a dark mass closes the scene and guides the eye toward the distance. The low horizon, crossed by grey tonalities, heightens the sense of overcast weather.
The paint layer is dense in places, especially in the land and rock areas, where impasto builds relief. The water is treated with more horizontal strokes, modulated in blue-greens and greys, with lighter passages suggesting ripples or reflections. The construction is dominated by large masses, with no superfluous detail.
Comparative analysis / related works
The work belongs to Breuillaud’s corpus of water landscapes, in which he frequently sets a central liquid plane against structuring banks. His simplifying method is evident: natural elements are reduced to legible volumes, while variations in brushwork are sufficient to convey surface textures.
Compared with brighter, more open seascapes, this painting favours the intimacy of a cove or stretch of water and a sky charged with drama. A discreet built form on the edge of the bank—barely indicated—also recalls those landscapes in which habitation serves as a human marker without becoming the principal subject.
Justification of dating and attribution
The dating to c. 1940 accords with the handling and palette: muted values, space organised in compact masses, and a sky treated in broad sweeps. The way the water is suggested by short horizontal strokes, contrasting with the impasto of the bank, corresponds to a practice seen in Breuillaud’s landscapes from this period.
The attribution is confirmed by the signature visible at lower right, as well as by consistent stylistic traits: geometric simplification of masses, the search for balance between linear rhythms (trees) and broad planes (water, sky), and priority given to atmosphere. Signature: signed at lower right.
Provenance / exhibitions / publications
Private collection *
Image data
Document type: colour photographic reproduction.
© Bruno Restout — Catalogue raisonné André Breuillaud