View of Cagnes

Chaim Soutine

ca. 1924–25 · Oil on canvas · Modern and Contemporary Art

Soutine made his way to Paris in 1913 in pursuit of a career as a painter. There, he became friends with other Russian Jewish artists, such as Marc Chagall and Amedeo Modigliani. While he did not adhere to one particular style, he gravitated to the expressive work of El Greco, Vincent van Gogh, and the Fauves. Best known for his dramatic figure and still-life paintings, Soutine also made landscapes. From 1923 to 1925, the artist spent time in the mountain village of Cagnes along the French Riviera, where he made this canvas. The blue, green, and ocher palette here suggests the serene atmosphere of the region, while the swirling, energetic brushwork gives the village a distorted, pulsating quality.

Artist

Chaim Soutine

Date

ca. 1924–25

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

The Mr. and Mrs. Klaus G. Perls Collection, 1997