Paysage de Bougival

Maurice de Vlaminck painted Paysage de Bougival at the height of his Fauvist period (1900-1907). The landscape depicted in this painting is in the Seine valley, a region that is easily accessible from Paris and so was popular with many painters. De Vlaminck frequently cycled to the area (he had once hoped to become a professional racing cyclist) to paint in the open air. He often squeezed his paints directly from the tube onto the canvas, keeping the paint thick and unadulterated. Vincent van Gogh’s influence on De Vlaminck can clearly be seen in his work. Van Gogh’s uninhibited style of painting and use of colour particularly appealed to the artist. Along with Henri Matisse, André Derain and others, De Vlaminck belonged to a group known as Les Fauves (the wild beasts). This French form of what was later called Expressionism is characterised by its use of pure colours, dramatic contrasts and thick outlines.