Paul Berthier 1879 1916 Lake Of Petit Doménon

Paul Berthier 1879 1916 Lac du Petit Doménon Oil on canvas – Signed lower right French painter born in 1879 and who died prematurely in 1916, Paul Berthier belongs to that generation of artists trained in the rigorous observation of reality, nourished by the naturalist tradition and the romantic attraction to grandiose landscapes. His work, rare due to his short life, is distinguished by great technical mastery and an obvious sensitivity to mountain landscapes. In this painting representing the Lac du Petit Doménon, located in the Belledonne massif, Berthier displays all his finesse of observation: a crystalline light reveals the mineral hues of the rocks – gray, ochre, brown – which border a lake of a calm and deep blue. The whole composes a silent scene, both precise and poetic. The solidly constructed composition evokes the solitude and grandeur of the high-altitude world. The original frame underlines the noble character of the whole. A collector's item, at the crossroads of art and topographical testimony, a rare vestige of the vision of an artist who died too soon.