Sanary By Victor Prouvé

Landscape of the Sanary hinterland with a view of the sea in the background; a pastel study from life with particular attention paid to the sky. The pastel is signed by Victor Prouvé in the lower right corner and is labeled with the location and date, July 7, 1931, on the back of the sheet. It is mounted in a black and gilded wooden frame dating from the early 20th century and measures 23 x 31.5 cm without the frame.
Victor Prouvé, a leading figure of Art Nouveau in France, was born in Nancy in 1858 into a family whose father was an embroidery designer. After attending the Nancy School of Drawing from 1873 to 1877, he enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the studio of the painter Alexandre Cabanel. There, he honed his skills in drawing and painting and was introduced to sculpture and printmaking. 
Working in Paris, he also designed glassware and furniture for his friend Émile Gallé; some of his pieces were exhibited at the World’s Fairs of 1889 and 1900. He thus contributed to the development of the Nancy School style alongside Louis Majorelle and Émile Gallé. A trip to Tunisia in 1889 introduced him to North Africa and its light, which would have a lasting influence on him. He died in Sétif in 1943.