"amsterdam" By Jacques Courboulès

"Amsterdam" by Jacques Courboulès (1905–1990) reflects Jacques Courboulès’s enduring interest in urban landscapes and views of European cities. Born in Montpellier, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in his hometown before settling in Paris, where he pursued his career. Influenced by Post-Impressionism and a sensibility akin to that of the École de Paris, he developed an expressive style of painting characterized by a loose brushstroke, subtle color harmonies, and an often poetic atmosphere. His body of work includes numerous landscapes, harbors, and travel scenes, in which light plays an essential role.

In “Amsterdam,” Courboulès depicts a canal dominated by a lift bridge emblematic of the Dutch capital. The boats moored in the foreground, the facades of the houses, and the reflections in the water give structure to a dynamic composition, in which the architecture seems to blend into a vibrant pictorial texture. The color palette, dominated by greens, blues, and ochres, captures the damp and luminous atmosphere of Amsterdam’s canals, while the broad brushstrokes lend the entire work a sense of movement and spontaneity