Dubuc Barges Docked In The Snow With Tricolor Flags Bord De Seine Paris

Beautiful, large gouache by Roland Dubuc, depicting snow-covered barges in a wintry river port atmosphere. The composition is built around large diagonals of dark hulls and whitewashed decks, leading the eye to the central basin and then to the boats in the background. The whole is seductive for its restrained, almost silent atmosphere, where snow, cold water and the mass of boats compose a scene that is both simple and very accurate.

Dubuc avoids any easy picturesqueness here. He doesn't paint decorative snow, but a working landscape slowed by winter, with water absorbing the light and reinforcing the calm of the sheet. The barges, discreetly decked out with tricolored flags, introduce a lively vibrancy with their red, white and blue accents into a palette otherwise dominated by grays, muted greens and dark blues. This detail enlivens the scene without breaking its unity.

The gouache is also distinguished by its flexibility of execution. The reserves of white for the snow, the bluish-gray washes of the background, the more nervous strokes that structure the superstructures and ladders give the composition a very convincing presence. Here, Roland Dubuc transforms a modest motif of moored barges into a veritable climate scene, almost meditative, where the rigor of construction meets a beautiful poetry of winter.

Work framed under glass, in good overall condition. Expertise on the back by René Millet. See photos.

Total dimensions: 73 x 63 cm, the view 52cm x 42 cm