Meteors By Yves Brayer

Meteors, gouache on paper by Yves Brayer, signed lower right.

Yves Brayer (1907-1990) discovered Mediterranean landscapes at an early age, and their light had a profound influence on his work. A keen traveler, he spent his career exploring Italy, Spain, Greece, and Mexico, bringing back numerous drawings and gouaches created on site. Trained at the Montparnasse and Grande Chaumière academies, he quickly made a name for himself in the Parisian art world between the two world wars. Winner of the Prix de Rome, he resided at the Villa Medici and simultaneously developed his talents as an engraver, lithographer, and illustrator of literary works.

The gouache depicts the Meteora, Greek monasteries perched on cliffs. Yves Brayer was undoubtedly fascinated by these architectural masterpieces and left behind several works related to them. The sensation of height and vertigo is particularly well rendered, highlighting the artist's genius in depicting light and landscapes