Henri Edmond Cross

Ambroise Vollard, Paris
Galerie Bignou, Paris
Acquired from the above by the family of the present owner in December 1943

Paris, Galerie Schmit, Tableaux des Maïtres français 1900-1955, 1973, no. 12, illustrated in the catalogue
Portland, Portland Museum of Art, Neo-Impressionism: Artists on the Edge, 2002, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Painted circa 1905, the present work dates from the period after Cross left Paris with his future wife, Irma Clare in 1891 and settled on the Côte d'Azur in the South of France. In the small village of Cabasson, situated between the sea and Mediterranean pines, the artist began to paint his first divisionist landscapes. L'Arbre penché, a fine example of this technique, resembles a carefully composed mosaic of shimmering colours. The tonal variations and juxtapositions in the present work recreate the vibrant, dazzling atmosphere of the Côte d’Azur that became a major source of inspiration for the artist.

 

Whilst remaining very close to Seurat and Signac, with whom he had founded the Neo-Impressionist group, Cross abandoned their scientific approach to painting, and adapted the pointillist style to his own more rhythmic and bold method. Cross replaced their rigid use of dots based on colour theories for a more liberated and intuitive style, creating a body of work that celebrates the majestic light of the Mediterranean coast.