Vista de Saint Paul de Vence 1910

Andre Derain painted this view of Saint Paul de Vence with oils on canvas. It's a very earthy palette. The greens, browns, and ochres are applied in blocky shapes, like the buildings were built out of toy bricks. The artist takes up a wide-angle, with the trees framing the village on the hill. I can imagine Derain working on this outside, trying to capture the light. I bet he was swatting away mosquitoes. It looks like he’s attempting a Cézanne but with the volume turned up! The town is solid. The colors are punchy, and the paint looks pretty smooth. The blue of the sky peeks through above the buildings, contrasting with the greens and browns below. A dark brown squiggle shows a branch in the sky, but it also flattens the picture. Painters are always reacting to other painters, and that's how art keeps moving forward.