Early 20th Century Fauvist oil on canvas laid on board of a green and mauve landscape with naked female bathers by René Seyssaud. The painting is signed top left. Presented in a very fine custom gold Monteparnasse frame. To the back board is a exhibition and title label. The painting was shown in Seyssaud Expositions : Saint-Cham'Art "Nature et Volupté" du 07 Juin 2008 au 29 Juillet 2008 à la Chapelle Saint Pierre de Saint Chamas.

Provenance: From the family of the artist.

A truly wonderful painting full of colour and vivacity, Seyssaud at his best, where his influence on the Fauvists can be clearly seen. This vibrant painting showcases a rich tapestry of colour and form, depicting naked figures in a lush forest setting. Bold strokes of green dominate the scene, evoking the dense foliage of a mystical woodland. The figures, softly rendered, appear almost ethereal, exuding a sense of peace and connection with nature. Their poses suggest leisure and contemplation, enhancing the serene atmosphere. The interplay of light and shadow is expertly executed, highlighting the contrast between the vivid greenery and the pastel hues of the figures. The use of thick impasto adds texture and depth, inviting the viewer to explore the layers and rich details. The slightly abstract quality of the composition blends realism with imagination, capturing a moment of tranquillity and harmony within an enchanting natural environment. This piece is a testament to the transformative power of colour and artistic expression. Seyssaud favoured a medium, distemper (détrempe), which involved a mixture of painting, water and glue kept liquid in a bain marie. This technique allowed him to achieve a fluid touch and luminous colours, but required him to work very quickly and on a small-ish scale.

René Seyssaud (1867-1952) was a Provençal painter, precursor of Fauvism, member of the New School of Avignon. Although he was the child of a Vaucluse family, he was born on 15 June 1867 in Marseille, where his father was a lawyer. The latter enrolled him at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After the death of his father he joined his grandparents in Avignon who enrolled him there to continue his artistic studies with Pierre Grivolas as his teacher.

He stands out for his powerful temperament and bold palette of bright colours, which makes him a precursor of Fauvism. His first major exhibition took place in 1892 at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris. He then participated at the Salon d'Automne and the Salon des Tuileries. His marriage in 1899 gave him the opportunity to settle in Villes-sur-Auzon, where he chose Mont Ventoux and the Gorges de la Nesque as pictorial themes. But suffering from tuberculosis, his doctors advised him to move closer to the sea and he moved in 1904 to Saint-Chamas where his workshop overlooked the Etang de Berre. However, he often returned to the foot of Mount Ventoux and in the mid-1930s, he even set up a studio in Aurel. At the urging of his friends Chabaud and Serra, he was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour and died in Saint-Chamas on 24 September 1952. His features are preserved for us by the portrait painted by Pierre Ambrogiani and kept by the Paul-Lafran Municipal Museum in Saint-Chamas.

Seyssaud's paintings are held in important private and national collections including: Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris : Luzerne, 1925-1930, huile sur toile, 38,5 × 46 cm Les Yeuses, 1915-1918, huile sur toile, 96 × 130 cm Musée d'Orsay : Les Rochers gris, vers 1920, huile sur toile, 100 × 81,3 cm Les Oliviers, 1898, huile sur toile, 101 × 81 cm Toulon, Musée d'Art : Paysans au travail, non daté, huile sur toile, 81 × 60 cm Saint-Tropez, Musée de l'Annonciade : Bois de pins au crépuscule, huile sur toile, 41 × 61 cm Albi, musée Toulouse-Lautrec : Une Maternité, huile sur toile Avignon, musée Calvet : La Rivière en automne, vers 1910, huile sur toile, 92 × 73 cm Berre-l'Étang, hotel de ville : Saint-Chamas, 1909, huile sur toile, 200 × 340 cm Dijon, musée des Beaux-Arts : Portrait d'enfant, 1890, huile sur toile, 45 × 36 cm Raisins et figues, huile sur toile, 47 × 67 cm Granville, Musée d'Art moderne Richard-Anacréon : Village provençal, huile sur toile, 66 × 100 cm musée Cantini, Marseille : Coup de Mistral sur l'étang de Berre, huile sur toile, 46 × 54 cm Vallon de la Touloubre, 12 × 18 cm musée des Beaux-Arts : Chênes au couchant, huile sur toile, 74 × 93 cm Mer de mistral à la Garonne, 1901, huile sur carton, 13 × 19 cm Saint Chamas, les vieux toits, huile sur toile, 48 × 65 cm Montpellier, musée Fabre : Saint-Chamas, bois de félibres, huile sur toile, 60,5 × 92 cm En Russie: Saint-Pétersbourg, Musée de l'Ermitage : La Route, 1901, huile sur toile, 30,7 × 48 cm Le Déjeuner d'un ouvrier, huile sur toile, 55 × 46 cm Le Labour, huile sur toile, 46 × 60,5 cm