Anders Osterlind (1887-1960) Village Near Puy Mary, Cantal, Circa 1944. Crozant School, Vlaminck

A beautiful new large oil on canvas by Anders Osterlind depicting a landscape in the Cantal region near Puy Mary, circa 1943/1944, signed lower right. The canvas measures 65 x 81 cm (excluding the frame). This is another expressionist composition by Anders Osterlind, this time settling in the Cantal. My regular clients have already seen many paintings of the Cantal in the gallery, as it was, along with the Creuse and Brittany, one of his favorite places, especially in the 1940s, when he visited frequently, sometimes accompanied by his close friend Conrad Kickert. The 1940s were Osterlind's mature period, a time when he employed a powerful and energetic brushstroke, reintroducing color with chrome yellows, reds, ochres, and of course, his usual greens, grays, and blues. So, a very expressionist work that perfectly reflects Anders' talent. I hardly need to introduce Anders Osterlind, whom all my loyal clients know and frequent, as he is one of my favorite painters and almost always represented on the walls of my gallery, alongside Léon Detroy and Charles Bichet. He was one of the leading figures of the famous Crozant school, one of the last great painters, also close to the painters of Bréhat and the School of Paris, alongside his friends Modigliani, Soutine, Kikoïne, and Kickert. Son of Allan Osterlind, a great Swedish painter and friend of Maufra, Anders was born in Lépaud in the Creuse region, his beloved homeland, hence his connection to the Crozant school. Initially, he followed his father and drew inspiration from him, but he quickly distanced himself from his influence through his interactions with Modigliani, Soutine, and Kikoïne in Paris. However, he would say that his lifelong master was Cézanne. Indeed, in his paintings between 1916 and 1925, we can see that the master of Aix was very influential. Anders' other favorite region was Brittany, especially Bréhat and its surroundings, where his father had lived for a long time. Anders' work can be divided into five major periods. An initial period up until around 1916, rather impressionistic, very close to his father's style; then a radical change, the period 1916/1925 very Cézanne-like and already very powerful; then 1925/1932 where he began to find his true style, increasingly expressionistic with dominant shades of grey, hence the so-called grey period; then 1932/1943, the so-called green period, essentially close to the grey period except for the dominant colors; then 1943/1960, the death of his son Nanic (also a painter) in 1943; his painting hardened, in the spirit of Soutine, with sometimes very deconstructed compositions, with a very powerful and richly textured brushstroke; color reappeared, even more so towards the end of his life when his painting calmed down with views of Provence or Tunisia in the 1950s. He set up his easel in many regions, Touraine, Central France, The Alps, Pyrenees, Provence, Cantal, Charente, Orne, and even Tunisia towards the end of his life; but Brittany and the Creuse were the regions he painted most frequently, and he is now considered one of the finest painters of the Crozant school, thanks in particular to his sumptuous views of Gargilesse. He exhibited in numerous salons and galleries, both in France and abroad. A major exhibition was held at the Creuse Valley Museum in Eguzon in 2023, accompanied by a very interesting catalogue published by Les Ardents Editeurs, which I highly recommend, where you will find several works very similar to the one I am offering. This canvas is in very good original condition; it has been cleaned and inspected by my conservator, who only repaired two small surface chips in the lower right and in the middle at the far left—that's all. Delivered in its original frame, which has suffered from dampness and is in fair condition, but it can be refinished. Alternatively, I can offer a white American-style frame, your choice. Artwork guaranteed authentic.