Adrien Bas (1884-1925), Hydrangeas And Violin

Oil on canvas. 92 x 73 cm. Signed lower left. With frame.

This painting by Adrien Bas, titled Hydrangeas and Violin, is a refined still life where the artist arranges a bouquet of hydrangeas in a transparent vase, a violin resting on a table, and an opensheet of music. The flowers, in shades of white and pink, dominate the composition, while the violin and the sheet music evoke a musical universe and an intimate atmosphere. The background, composed of pastel-colored drapery, diffuses a soft light that bathes the scene and enhances its delicacy.

The light, nuanced palette and the supple, vibrant brushwork recall the influence of Impressionism and Renoir on Bas. The transparency of the vase, the play of light on the petals, and the wood of the violin demonstrate the painter’s technical mastery. By combining music and flowers, Adrien Bas celebrates ephemeral beauty and the dialogue between thearts. This painting perfectly illustrates the poetic sensitivity and discreet modernity of the Lyonnais artist, who favors emotion and light to capture the beauty of everyday life.  

Adrien Bas, coming from asilk-making background, entered the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in 1902, where he was trained by the painter Pierre Bonnaud. Between 1920 and 1924, he joined the Ziniars group, a collective of innovative Lyonnais artists. As early as 1901, he exhibited at the Société Lyonnaise des Beaux-Arts, and later at the Salon d’Automne Lyonnais between 1909 and 1923. Twelve of his paintings and numerous drawings were then incorporated into the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. 

Primarily known for his landscapes of Lyon and its surroundings, always painted directly from nature, he was fascinated by the changing lights along the banks of the Saône River. He excelled in capturing the transparency of water and mist, which he evoked through long, subtle brushstrokes. Avoiding the conventional landscapes typicalof watercolorists, he preferred places like Villeurbanne, La Mulatière, Fourvière, and La Villette. 

His style stood apart from the traditional Lyonnais school of painting, drawing inspiration from Fauvism. His works are characterized by broad, generous brushstrokes, with a firm and sweeping touch. However, Adrien Bas eventually destroyed much of his work,favoring the spontaneity of sketches (pochades) over the finality of completed canvases.  

He died at the young age of 41, in1925, leaving behind a body of work that is both sensitive and luminous.