AB-PR1-1948-002 — Summer Reflections (1948)

Technical information

Title : Summer Reflections
Date : 1948
Technique : Oil on canvas
Dimensions : 100 × 73 cm
Location : Private collection *

Biographical / historical context

In 1948, Breuillaud developed a strand of interior scenes in which the figure combines with still-life motifs. Often constructed through broad color fields, these compositions reflect a renewed interest in everyday life and domestic light during a period of relative post-war calm.

The title, Summer Reflections, suggests a search for transparency and chromatic resonance, as if the scene were crossed by warm light filtered through a window or a mirror.

Formal / stylistic description

The composition is organized around a round table covered with a checked cloth, on which sit a fruit tray, a bottle, and a tall vase. At left, a female figure stands in profile; in the background, a second figure appears as if seen through an opening or reflected by a glass surface.

The painting proceeds by juxtaposed color planes: greens, blues, and ochres answer one another, while orange bands structure the tablecloth and tray. Forms are simplified and occasionally outlined, lending the whole a geometric stability without cancelling the sensation of light.

Comparative analysis / related works

The canvas relates to Breuillaud’s other interiors and still lifes from the late 1940s, where he favors a construction in flat areas and a segmentation of volumes. The dialogue between figure and objects reflects a constant concern for composition more than descriptive detail.

The presence of a “second” figurative plane (reflection or opening) introduces a mise en abyme that recurs in this corpus, complicating the space while maintaining a clear, frontal reading.

Justification of dating and attribution

A date of 1948 accords with the formal synthesis and the vivid yet controlled palette characteristic of the PR1 period, as well as with the way space is built through large chromatic fields.

The attribution is supported by stylistic coherence with the artist’s contemporary works: rhythm of flat areas, occasional contours, and a stable hierarchy of planes, reinforced—when visible—by the painted signature.

Provenance / exhibitions / publications

Private collection *