plate no. 7584

Landscape near Chatou

Andre Derain, 1904

oil, panelFauvismlandscapelandscapevillagehousestreesskyhills

From the record

Institution: Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Location: Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Wikidata item Q21712016

from the sources

The painting belongs to a series of landscapes Derain made in the winter of 1904-1905, when the group later called the fauves was forming. museothyssen.org
“Landscape near Chatou belongs to the series of landscapes Derain executed during that winter, which marked his professional career and during which the small artistic group known a year later as the fauves was being formed.”
Derain painted the view from a small hill, as he did in other landscapes from that winter. museothyssen.org
“Like in other landscapes painted that winter, the artist has chosen a small hill as his viewpoint.”
Trees in the foreground act as a screen through which the houses, river and cultivated plain are seen. museothyssen.org
“A clump of trees in the foreground, parallel to the pictorial plane, serves as a kind of screen through which we can see several houses in the middle distance, then the river and beyond it the cultivated plain.”
The composition has a very high horizon, leaving little sky visible. museothyssen.org
“The horizon is very high and the sky can hardly be seen.”
The execution is concise and direct, anticipating a characteristic trait of later fauvism. museothyssen.org
“The execution is very concise and direct, anticipating what would later be one of the characteristic traits of fauvism.”
The palette is based mainly on cold blues and greens. museothyssen.org
“In this painting the palette relies essentially on cold shades, blues and greens.”
Unlike other works Derain and Vlaminck made that winter, this painting uses subdued colours rather than purer, brighter ones. museothyssen.org
“Unlike the purer and brighter colours found in works painted by Vlaminck and by Derain himself that winter, here the artist plays with rather subdued shades.”
The museum text says the painting reflects the recent impact on Derain of the Cézanne and Maurice Denis exhibitions. museothyssen.org
“Landscape near Chatou illustrates the recent impact of those exhibitions on the young Derain.”

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the houses, hills, and fields.
step 02
Block in the sky with broad strokes of pink and orange.
step 03
Establish the main areas of color for the fields and trees using simplified shapes.
step 04
Begin adding details to the houses, focusing on the roof colors and shadow areas.
step 05
Use short, expressive brushstrokes to build up the texture of the trees and foliage.
step 06
Introduce darker blues and greens to create depth and contrast in the foreground.
step 07
Refine the shapes and colors, paying attention to the overall harmony of the painting.
step 08
Add final details and highlights to create visual interest.

color palette

primary · cadmium red · cadmium yellow · ultramarine blue · titanium white

secondary · orange · sap green · violet

Achieve the pink sky by mixing cadmium red with titanium white. Create various greens by mixing cadmium yellow with ultramarine blue. Use orange to add warmth to the landscape.

techniques