This stunning work by Armand Guillaumin is the epitome of his later expressive works with its bold colour palette and short punchy brushstrokes, reminiscent of the Fauves. Guillaumin has been called the ‘lost’ Impressionist due to being relatively unknown despite being one of the original Impressionists who exhibited at the first Impressionist Exhibition in 1874. Here, one can see the interest in light and en plein-air painting but the brushstrokes are looser and more vigorous.
This painting belongs to the time after 1891 where he was able to dedicate his life to painting when he won a large prize in the Loterie Nationale. This allowed him to travel between Agay, Crozant, and Saint-Palais-sur-Mer throughout the year, painting multiple works in each area.
Armand Guillaumin was born in Paris and attended the Académie Suisse when he was twenty years of age. The Suisse Academy was an art school at which various artists studied before him trained, including Eugène Delacroix and Paul Cézanne. Guillaumin met the latter, who became a life-long friend – in 1871 they painted together by the Seine and Cézanne is said to have been very impressed by Guillaumin’s work. He also met there Camille Pissaro who influenced his landscapes.