Charles-robert Vallet (1907–1993) Bordeaux, The Quays Oil On Paper, Signed 31 X 24 Cm

Charles-Robert VALLET (Bordeaux 1907 – Bordeaux 1993) Bordeaux, the Quays Oil on paper, signed lower left Dimensions: 31 x 24 cm (57 x 47 cm with frame) A landscape painter, decorator, and draftsman, Charles-Robert Vallet studied under Fernand Ballet and Lépine at the Bordeaux School of Fine Arts. The port of Bordeaux and the Arcachon Basin were favorite subjects of his, which he explored many times, thus demonstrating his attachment to his region. He belonged to the generation of Bordeaux Independents, whose work evolved between figuration and abstraction. The subject of his paintings served as a pretext for exploring color and atmosphere. His palette was luminous: "He liked to bring light to places that could seem dark and monotonous, the docks of the port of Bordeaux, for example," explains Françoise Vallet, the artist's daughter. In his oil paintings, Robert Vallet developed a personal language that could be described as post-Cubist, marked by a concern for constructing a space inherent to the canvas, free from the imitation of reality. He simplified forms, eliminated details, and worked with flat areas of bold colors. Turning away from the picturesque, his research focused on the structure, composition, and architecture of the painting, without neglecting the interplay of shimmering colors that reflected his emotion and his joie de vivre experienced while gazing at the landscapes of the Arcachon Basin or the urban scenes, the quays, and the docks of Bordeaux.