Comme on void sur la branche... (As We See on the Branch...) 1955

Curator: As we look at Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac’s "Comme on void sur la branche... (As We See on the Branch...)," created in 1955, what are your immediate thoughts, Editor? Editor: There’s a gentle stillness here. It’s not overly romanticized, yet there is such subtle elegance to it, like witnessing a secret conversation between water and branches. Curator: This is indeed a wonderful print. The use of ink and his remarkable talent as a draftsman have produced a work reminiscent of traditional landscape drawing. Segonzac, who lived between 1884 and 1974, lived through two World Wars, which informed his realist style of portraiture and landscape. Editor: It’s the reflections in the water that fascinate me the most. How the reality and the reflection intertwine, questioning which is the true image. Segonzac allows you to almost breathe in the moisture of the air. Curator: This focus also ties to French artistic and literary traditions, seeking authenticity by drawing from everyday encounters and direct observations of nature. Segonzac, in particular, stood against more radical art movements of the time and stood firmly within realist depictions of nature. Editor: Standing apart somehow makes his pieces seem very human, less concerned with what’s trending, but deeply committed to expressing a personal feeling for his place in the world. Do you agree that this adds power to his style? Curator: It's precisely his traditionalist stance, that highlights an understanding of what art represents to society; an anchor of visual continuity. Segonzac’s focus allows us, perhaps, to find familiarity even across social change. Editor: Maybe his art gently reminds us that beauty continues even when chaos erupts all around it? It has definitely made me pause to consider that. Curator: Absolutely. With "Comme on void sur la branche…", we gain insight into Segonzac's vision, his devotion to the unaffected depiction of the natural world, offering his viewers respite. Editor: A moment of calm; well, I’ll take that. Thank you.