Galerie Hurtebize

With the arrival of spring, take a journey through the seasons as seen by three great painters: Albert Marquet, Louis Valtat and Albert Lebourg. Three singular visions of light, landscape and the passage of time, between Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and the beginnings of Fauvism. Each season brings its own light, contrasts and atmosphere. It is this dialogue between passing time and painted matter that we invite you to discover through these three works, brought together around a single theme: the seasons as seen by the Masters of modernism. From the impressionism of Albert Lebourg to the nascent fauvism of Albert Marquet, to the post-impressionist sensibility of Louis Valtat, these three paintings each embody a moment, a season captured through their eyes. 

Picture caption: Louis Valtat, Oil on canvas, 32 x 40 cm, Signed lower left, Arthur Tooth & Sons label on back. Provenance: Private Collection, Belgium
In this composition, painted in Normandy, Louis Valtat asserts his personal, masterful vision of nature. The brushstrokes are broad and the palette vibrant, characteristic of his post-impressionist style. Far from a naturalistic representation, the artist favors visual intensity: a stylized, expressive nature, carried by assertive movement and great chromatic freedom. A work that bears witness to his mature period, where form and color unite in an assertive pictorial language.

In this work, Albert Marquet delivers a fresh, peaceful vision of an urban summer, in the shade of the trees of the famous Parisian garden. Painted in the nascent energy of Fauvism and his early research alongside Matisse, Jardin du Luxembourg is marked by vivid colors and deep, contrasting greens. A pictorial stroll, between light and shadow. Here, the Jardin du Luxembourg becomes the scene of a calm summer with lush greenery.

Albert Lebourg, Oil on canvas, 50 x 73 cm, Provenance: Private collection, France

This work illustrates Albert Lebourg's mastery of light and atmosphere. A product of the Impressionist tradition, here he explores its subtlest version: a calmer vision of landscape, structured by simple framing and a restrained but nuanced palette. The reflections on the water, the warm tones of the foliage and the lightness of the sky create a visually coherent whole. A painting distinguished by its refined sobriety and acute sense of tonality.