France c. 1920–30 (signed Ch. Cousin)
Oil on panel, 35 × 27 cm
Some age-related loss and perimeter abrasion. Presented in a contemporary walnut frame.
A striking portrait of a Camargue manadier by French painter Charles Cousin (1904-1972), rendered with an immediacy and expressive economy characteristic of interwar modernism.
The sitter emerges beneath an exaggerated broad-brimmed hat, his face constructed through vigorous passages of ochre, cream and deep umber. A brilliant red neckerchief cuts through the otherwise earthy palette, lending the compact composition graphic intensity. Cousin dispenses with conventional modelling in favour of abbreviated, confident brushwork - capturing with remarkably few gestures character, expression, and the light of this part of France.
A manadier is the keeper of a traditional Camargue herd, closely associated with the equestrian culture of southern France. Here, regional dress becomes the basis for a portrait that feels less documentary than psychological: direct, slightly enigmatic and distinctly modern.
The original painted surface has areas of age-related loss and abrasion, particularly around the perimeter, giving the work a compelling, time-worn character while leaving the strength of the image undiminished.
France c. 1920–30 (signed Ch. Cousin)
Oil on panel, 35 × 27 cm
Some age-related loss and perimeter abrasion. Presented in a contemporary walnut frame.
A striking portrait of a Camargue manadier by French painter Charles Cousin (1904-1972), rendered with an immediacy and expressive economy characteristic of interwar modernism.
The sitter emerges beneath an exaggerated broad-brimmed hat, his face constructed through vigorous passages of ochre, cream and deep umber. A brilliant red neckerchief cuts through the otherwise earthy palette, lending the compact composition graphic intensity. Cousin dispenses with conventional modelling in favour of abbreviated, confident brushwork - capturing with remarkably few gestures character, expression, and the light of this part of France.
A manadier is the keeper of a traditional Camargue herd, closely associated with the equestrian culture of southern France. Here, regional dress becomes the basis for a portrait that feels less documentary than psychological: direct, slightly enigmatic and distinctly modern.
The original painted surface has areas of age-related loss and abrasion, particularly around the perimeter, giving the work a compelling, time-worn character while leaving the strength of the image undiminished.
