Le Cannet, Le Rideau Bleu 1926

Henri Lebasque made this painting with oil paint on canvas, probably en plein air, trying to capture the light and atmosphere of the South of France. I love how Lebasque set up the composition, with the blue curtain acting as a repoussoir, framing the view beyond, but also creating a dialogue between interior and exterior space. The paint application feels loose and intuitive, like he’s trying to catch a fleeting moment. I imagine him squinting in the bright sunlight, dabbing the canvas with quick strokes of color, trying to translate what he sees and feels onto the canvas. There's something about the way he captures the light on the buildings in the distance, those hazy blues and greens of the hills, that feels so immediate and fresh. It makes me think of other painters of his generation, like Bonnard and Vuillard, who were also interested in capturing intimate, domestic scenes and the beauty of everyday life. It's like they're all in conversation with each other, bouncing ideas and techniques back and forth, trying to push the boundaries of what painting can do.