The Banks of the Loire, Basse Indre 1917

Ferdinand du Puigaudeau created this painting, "The Banks of the Loire, Basse Indre", with an immersive field of warm hues. The composition is dominated by two trees whose forms act as vertical anchors in the foreground, which is constructed from an optical symphony of broken brushstrokes. Puigaudeau uses these formal structures to destabilize traditional landscape painting. The artist manipulates the concept of space, creating an interplay between near and far, solid and ethereal, drawing us in. The materiality of the paint—its texture, its layered application—becomes a signifier in itself. Through this manipulation, Puigaudeau challenges our understanding of perception and representation. Ultimately, it is the painting's formal qualities that speak most eloquently. The dabs of colour, seemingly random, coalesce into a coherent whole, demonstrating how visual elements contribute to a complex network of meaning. The artwork invites us to contemplate the very nature of art itself.