Paysage aux arbres 

Léo Gausson created this watercolor painting, Paysage aux arbres, in France. It depicts a grove of trees in a minimalist style, which can be understood in the context of turn-of-the-century French art. Gausson was a post-impressionist painter and printmaker. His career began in a very particular moment in the institutional history of French painting, when impressionism and post-impressionism were challenging the conservative exhibition policies of the Parisian Salons. We can imagine that Gausson had to position himself in relation to the ongoing debate about what art should be, and how it should represent the world. Given the date possibly written in the upper right corner, it is worth noting how the shadow of World War II may have impacted the creation of such a painting. Examining the exhibition history of Gausson’s work can reveal to us the changing status of different kinds of painting in French society. It would be useful to consult exhibition catalogues and reviews in newspapers and journals to gain a fuller understanding of his work.