View Of A Sunny Village By Yves Brayer

View of a sunny village, gouache on paper by Yves Brayer, signed lower right and numbered 21/25.

Yves Brayer (1907–1990) discovered Mediterranean landscapes at a very young age, and their light would have a profound influence on his work. A keen traveler, throughout his career he visited Italy, Spain, Greece, and Mexico, bringing back numerous drawings and gouaches created on the spot.

Trained at the Montparnasse and Grande Chaumière academies, he quickly made a name for himself in the Parisian artistic scene between the two world wars. Winner of the Prix de Rome, he stayed at the Villa Medici and at the same time developed his skills in engraving, lithography, and literary illustration.

The gouache presented here is numbered 21/25, probably referring to a series of works created for a thematic collection or a travel journal.

It depicts a sun-drenched village scene: a cobbled alleyway, a donkey laden with baskets, light-colored facades, and lush vegetation dominated by a palm tree. The energy of the lines, the colorful shadows, and the bright light are reminiscent of the travel journals Brayer kept during his stays abroad.

The composition evokes a Mediterranean or South American village, possibly inspired by Mexico, a country where the artist worked and from which he brought back several similar scenes.

A lively, spontaneous piece, typical of Brayer's talent for capturing the light and atmosphere of the places he visited.