Sketch for 'Sanary, France' 1925

Rupert Bunny's 'Sketch for Sanary, France' is a symphony of muted tones, evoking a serene yet subtly unsettling landscape. The composition is structured by horizontal bands of land, architecture, and sky, unified by Bunny's loose brushwork and restrained palette. The buildings, rendered with simple geometric forms, punctuate the scene, their ochre and white hues echoing the natural tones of the surrounding hills. This echoes structuralist ideas of interconnected systems, where each element gains significance through its relation to others. The sketch destabilizes traditional landscape painting by not focusing on realistic representation, inviting us to consider the underlying structures that shape our perception of space. Consider how the formal qualities of the artwork function aesthetically and as part of a philosophical discourse. The painting invites ongoing interpretation, without a fixed meaning.