#puvis

Instead of presenting a straightforward narrative, the current painting emphasizes a dreamy, lyrical mood. The costumes and calm, static gestures derive from ancient statuary and relief sculptures, while the minimal modeling, simplified contours, and pale, chalky colors reflect the artist’s study of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Italian frescoes. Puvis’s work inspired younger artists eager for alternatives to Impressionism, including Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat.

Watercolor, gouache on paper, 24 x 37.5 cm

Le Verger, Les Enfants au verger, L’Automne = The Orchard, Children in the Orchard, Autumn Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (French; 1824–1898) ca. 1885–89 Oil and pencil on canvas The City College of New York, The City University of New York

Le Travail = Work Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (French; 1824–1898) ca. 1863 Oil on canvas National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Balloon (1874) - Pierre Puvis de Chavannes

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, The Inspiring Muses Acclaim the Spirit of Light.

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Sacred Woods of the Arts and Muses.