The Beach of Les Grands Sables at Le Pouldu
Paul Sérusier (French, 1864–1927)
1890
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- 60 × 70 cm (23 5/8 × 27 9/16 in.)
- Culture
- France
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago, Painting and Sculpture of Europe
- Credit line
- Through prior gift of Mrs. Clive Runnells
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Art Institute of Chicago
About this work
In the summer of 1890, Paul Sérusier traveled to the small seaside village of Le Pouldu in Brittany in northwestern France. The artist was struck by the area’s dramatic, untamed landscape, particularly its beaches’ sweeping dunes and wind-bent trees, which dominate this picture. He emphasized the power of nature by including a tiny human figure among the dunes. Seeking to convey the sensations of the environment without being overly representational, Sérusier composed the picture with fields of pure, bold color and strong lines. This style, called synthetism, was also championed by Paul Gauguin.
Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0
