Untitled

Technical information

Title : Untitled
Date : c. 1941
Technique : Oil on cardboard
Dimensions : 38 × 46 cm
Location : Private collection

Biographical / historical context

In 1941, Breuillaud continued a cycle of Provençal landscapes in which the olive tree and the silhouette of the hills became recurring motifs. The period, marked by restrictions on travel, favoured nearby subjects and variations around the same viewpoints: hills, villages, roads, and orchards.

Painted on a rigid support, this study reflects a direct approach, probably outdoors, aimed at quickly capturing colour relationships and the structure of the terrain.

Formal / stylistic description

The composition is organised in successive horizontal bands: in the foreground, a strip of ochre, stony ground; in the middle distance, a group of olive trees with twisted trunks; in the background, a mountain ridge treated as broad violet and slate-blue masses. A few dark-green cypresses, vertical accents, punctuate the scene and reinforce depth.

The brushwork is energetic, sometimes cut on the diagonal, allowing the cardboard’s surface to show through and revealing bold superimpositions. The trees’ shadows are indicated in cooled blues and greens, while lit areas assert themselves in muted oranges and subdued yellows. The sky, worked in cool values, contributes to an atmosphere of late afternoon or raking light.

The motif is deliberately simplified: rather than a descriptive rendering, Breuillaud seeks a construction in chromatic masses and a balance between sinuous lines (the olive trees) and the broad diagonals of the land.

Comparative analysis / related works

This landscape belongs fully to Breuillaud’s Provençal views, where the olive tree serves as a formal marker: dark trunk, cloud-like foliage, cast shadow. The confrontation between the warm tones of the ground and the cool tones of the ridge echoes his habitual way of building depth through thermal contrast.

Compared with more “urban” or more narrative views, this study privileges sensation: a rapid synthesis of place, close to a sketch, highlighting the dynamism of the touch and the overall architecture of the landscape.

Justification of dating and attribution

The dating to 1941 is consistent with the strongly structured palette (ochres, violets, subdued greens) and a very assertive brushwork. The attribution to André Breuillaud is reinforced by a visible signature at the lower left and by compositional constants: olive trees in the foreground, simplified ridges in the background, and vertical cypress accents.

Provenance / exhibitions / publications

Private collection.