Maurice Denis (1870-1943), French

Landscape, Oil on masonite board

_{Gift of Benjamin D. Bernstein, La Salle University Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA}

The color-ensemble, dominated by cool blue, green, and lavender tones, is richly subtle, ruggedly-surfaced, and softly angular. A few accents and contrasts become markers in the rhythmic spatial recession of the color units: the sitting figure on the left with two spots of viridian on each side of the red-capped head, moves the eye to the spot of viridian to the right of the center tree, and further back in space; the ivory-colored sitting figure on the right connects to the vertical stroke of ivory to its left and then to the smaller marks of ivory within the three poplars further back and to the left; the two straight tree trunks on the right rise up stiff and tall, capped with a mass of heavy, hook-shaped interwoven color units, with the viridian right side slightly in front of the cobalt blue (and together transfer the awkward, vertically upright stance of a plumed ostrich to this unit); these two tree trunks along with the sitting figure on the lavender blanket slightly behind the left trunk and the mass of brown-orange “foliage” to the right of the right trunk (and holding it like the paws of a big-brown bear) set the entire unit in the frontal plane. The left sitting figure to the left of the central tree is slightly deeper in space from this, and the center tree becomes the apex of the entire triangular formation, pushing the frontal plane back in space.
The foreground of cerulean and cobalt horizontally pulled color slabs is dissected by a curvilinear lavender path undulating back in space. On the right, the two rigid tree trunks, each pulling away from the other and thrusting upward, the right one slightly forward in space, are both capped by flattened, hook-shaped dark masses of viridian and cobalt. Moving back and away from these trees are a vertical strip of ivory, three massed poplars, and the alizarin hill beyond the sea. The seated figure on the left, the grouping of two trees and seated figure on right and mass of foliage wrapped around the right tree trunk like a bear hugging a log become spatial markers setting off the subtle recession of the entire picture.
The entire triangular mound of foreground is interspersed with warm, tan color shapes: the sitting figure on the left; the upward pushing, twisted tree just left of center; the seated figure on the right. Together, these light ivory shapes balance in bilateral symmetry. The figures, trees, shrubbery, and flowers are suggested with minimum detail, built out of pulled and flattened color and interspersed with small blobs of contrasting red and orange hues.
The subtle spatial recession is aided by the small, gently curving alizarin hills that contrast with the warm ultramarine water. The low horizon line creates another rhythmic marker in the space recession. Consequently, the white-gray cloud shape on the right, hunching up and leaning to the left is further back in space than the ivory, orange, peach, gold angular tree in the foreground and much further back than the ivory-peach figures set in the left and right foreground. The white oval representing the cloud pastes itself against the dark foliage of the trees on the right, a small unit of white peeking out and pushing forward on their left. The entire white oval pulses forward as the blue-gray unit below it slips behind it.
In these ways, the dramatically in and out pulsation of decorative color units, set within and contrasted with horizontal and vertical bands of cool/warm, vivid, amorphous color shapes of impasto pigment, rhythmically punctuate and define a shallow and subtle space recession.
Decidedly decorative, each massive color unit is enlivened by smaller dots of contrasting color. The olive-green mound of bush behind the central tree is dotted with orange and viridian circular blobs. Sitting like a cap on top of this unit, is a strip of cobalt and deep green that begins to the left of the tree with a hook-like shape, then rises and falls to the right. Cutting in front is another curving shape of warm green, orange, and ochre, and these are placed in front of the tree branches. An echo of the hook can be seen in the foliage covering the second branch from the right, pulsing further forward in space than the one on the left.
An arch of brownish-alizarin begins the crown across the top and this unit pushes in front of the tree limbs like an open umbrella. To the left of this arch is a stray piece of dark foliage. Because of its location in space and its darkness, it acts as a projector, pushing forward the arc of foliage on this side. On the opposite side, the two masses of dark foliage that top the vertical tree trunks act in reverse: because of their position in space and their darkness, they act as a repoussoir, pushing back the arc of foliage on this side. The striations of branches cut dramatically through the lavender sky and are set, therefore, slightly forward in space. Between the branches, the thick pulled color bands that make up the background bulge and recede, further enhancing the subtle spatial beat of the design.
The entire unit behind the central tree resembles a giant mushroom. Because of its shape, location in space, and darkness of color, it projects the ivory tree trunk forward as well.
The individual patterns of color, line, light, and space are highly rhythmic and unified. A simple and ambiguous landscape is transformed into flat patterns of rich, harmoniously arranged color units, like the intricate beat of jazzed music, which charms through intricate spatial relationships.

Analysis by Marilyn Bauman