Fernand Maissen Painting Touquet Beach Landscape Dune Rabbit Marine Boat Sunset

Opal Coast, dunes and breakwaters at Le Touquet-Paris-Plage – sunset. Wide view of the golden dunes of Le Touquet or its immediate surroundings, planted with marram grass and sea buckthorn shrubs. In the foreground, several wild rabbits enliven the scene. The undulating sand leads the eye towards the beach at low tide, where a row of breakwaters can be seen standing perpendicular to the shore. The low sun, filtered through a veil of clouds, sets the sea horizon ablaze and casts golden highlights on the sand crests. It is clearly an evening moment (sunset over the sea, western exposure of Le Touquet). A peaceful, naturalistic atmosphere, with particular attention paid to the textures of the marram grass, the dark thickets, and the interplay of light on the dunes. Confident lines, a lively brushstroke for the vegetation, and supple modeling for the sandy masses. A luminous palette, dominated by muted beiges, ochres, and greens, punctuated by grayish blues in the sky. The gently angled perspective and high horizon line create a sense of depth. The artist captures a precise meteorological moment—a milky evening sky, a subdued sun—and renders the reality of the Boulonnais dunes with a sensitive naturalism, devoid of superfluous detail. This can be compared to views of dunes and beaches on the Opal Coast by regional painters of the early 20th century (Wimereux, Ambleteuse, Berck, Le Touquet), and more broadly to the naturalist tradition of maritime landscape painting in northern France. Fernand Maissen, a painter active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is listed on the French art market. He is distinguished by his animal scenes and landscapes, with a penchant for plein air subjects painted from life. His hand pays particular attention to textures and atmospheric effects. French School, early 20th century. Region: Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Côte d'Opale (Le Touquet-Paris-Plage or surrounding area). Technique and support: Oil on panel or heavy cardboard. Dimensions: Image: 34 x 47 cm. Framed: 44 x 57 cm. Signed lower right (Fernand Maissen). No other inscriptions found. Condition: Very good overall condition of the painting; clean and consistent surface. Period or period-inspired giltwood frame with molded and foliate decoration, showing minor wear and tear. Dunes and beaches of the Opal Coast (Le Touquet, Wimereux, Ambleteuse, Berck) featuring breakwaters and marram grass, common in early 20th-century regional painting. Rosa Bonheur, Constant Troyon, Charles-Émile Jacque, Émile van Marcke, Julien Dupré, Alfred de Dreux, Charles Olivier de Penne, Paul Tavernier, Henriette Ronner-Knip, Eugène Verboeckhoven, Isidore Bonheur, Emmanuel Frémiet, Antoine-Louis Barye, Charles Valton, Paul Jouve, Rembrandt Bugatti, Sir Edwin Landseer, John Emms, Arthur Wardle, Joseph Wolf, animal school, 19th-century animal painting, Barbizon animal painting. Painting, oil on panel, dunes, Le Touquet, Opal Coast Opal Coast, Pas-de-Calais, Nord, beach, breakwater, marram grass, sea buckthorn, rabbits, warren, sunset, evening, golden light, seascape, coastal scene, North Sea, English Channel, France, French school, 20th century, naturalism, plein air, seaside, distant cliffs, sand, maritime vegetation, marine, shore, horizon, sky, clouds, atmosphere, light, collection, decorative, framed, giltwood frame, signed, Fernand Maissen, animal painter, landscape, coastline, dunes of Le Touquet, Berck, Wimereux, Ambleteuse, Wissant, Audresselles, tide, foreshore, textures, sand reliefs, ochre tone, green, blue-grey, meticulous execution, authenticity, antique painting, interwar period, early 20th century, fine craftsmanship, realistic, regionalism, northern school, nature scene, tranquility, summer, holidays, seaside, seaside resort, Paris-Plage, collector, interior, living room, seaside house, atmospheric, nuance, texture, brush composition, depth, perspective, high horizon, highlights, brilliance, original painting, figurative art, French art, dune landscape, sea, sun, evening sky, walk, heritage, vintage, antique, gallery