View of Cagnes. Artist: Chaim Soutine (French (born Lithuania), Smilovitchi 1893-1943 Paris). Dimensions: 23 3/4 × 28 7/8 in. (60.3 × 73.3 cm). Date: ca. 1924-25.
Best known for his somber portraits, Soutine also painted landscapes throughout his career. From 1923 to 1925, Soutine spent time in the mountain village of Cagnes along the French Rivera. The blue, green, and ocher palette suggests the serene atmosphere of the region, while the swirling expressionistic brushwork gives the village a fanciful, almost fairytale quality. Soutine's stacked and condensed forms cause the hilltop town to appear nestled into its coastal surroundings.