Jean Villeri (1896–1982) / Provence / Year 1926 / Haut-de-cagnes Under The Snow

A rare witness to snowy Provence by a discreet pioneer of Mediterranean modernity This very beautiful work, painted in 1926 by Jean Villeri, represents the old village of Haut-de-Cagnes, frozen in the muffled silence of the snow. In a Provence more often bathed in light than covered in white, this winter scene gives the landscape an atmosphere that is at once intimate, meditative and almost spiritual, faithful to Villeri's sensibility.

50 x 61 without frame
62.5 x 73.5 with frame
Signed and dated 26 lower left

From this time, Villeri developed a personal style deeply marked by a search for structure, volume and material, which is part of modernist trends while remaining independent of schools. Here, the terraced houses, the snow-covered roofs, the dark masses of olive trees, and the leaden sky are treated in a sober palette, with muted ranges of gray, ochre, and brown, which gives the painting a silent density. Dated 1926, this painting is set in Villeri's early active years, at a time when modern art was undergoing a profound transformation. While Cubism had already imposed a new vision of pictorial space, many Mediterranean artists sought to reconcile formal modernity and fidelity to their terroir. Villeri, then a young artist of 25, followed this demanding path: he abandoned easy effects to structure space, simplify forms, and express the essence of a place. Cagnes, which had attracted Renoir, Foujita, and so many others, became under his brush a mental and poetic place, much more than a simple motif. His approach is reminiscent of the parallel approaches of Charles Camoin, Louis Valtat, or the early days of Nicolas de Staël, although he retains a singular voice. He would later be associated with the School of Nice, without ever merging into a group, remaining solitary, rigorous, and profoundly Mediterranean.