Technical information
- Title : The Caravans
- Date : c. 1925
- Technique : Gouache on paper
- Dimensions : 45 × 60 cm
- Location : Private collection*
Biographical / historical context
This gouache belongs to the earliest works of the ZM cycle, when Breuillaud became interested in the urban margins and in precarious forms of housing set up on the outskirts of Paris. Around 1925, caravans, shacks, and fairground structures became recurring motifs in his work, associated with wastelands and a mobile population.
The choice of paper corresponds to a more direct practice, enabling him to capture quickly a scene observed from life.
Formal / stylistic description
The composition is dominated by a large green caravan, massive and treated as the central volume. Its boldly drawn wheels introduce a dynamic circular motif. A second caravan, darker and set farther back, extends the theme and establishes depth.
On the left, a red gate left ajar frames the scene and acts as a visual threshold. A small child figure, placed in the light, animates the space. The palette combines deep greens, cool blues, and red ochres. The gouache is laid in rapid gestures, mixing opaque flat areas with more transparent passages, with a marked graphic energy.
Comparative analysis / related works
Compared with the dark oils of the beginning of the ZM cycle, this work stands out for its brighter palette and for the freedom offered by the medium. It relates to the paper studies of 1925–1926 devoted to encampments and makeshift shelters, complementing the major canvases of the same cycle.
Justification of dating
The dating to around 1925 is consistent with the appearance of caravans within the ZM corpus, the rapid handling on paper, and the corresponding signature.