Poires et cruche
This small still life should be regarded as a spirited sketch rather than a finished work.
The artist has focused on the touch, impasto and broad brushstrokes in this small painting. The light is suggested with broad splashes of yellow, and the shadows by large black lines. The deep dish is rendered in long, rounded brushstrokes. The edge of the table is emphasised with a long line of bright yellow, echoing the ochre of the pitcher. The handle of the pitcher is rendered with one single brushstroke. The light on the pears is not rendered, as it often is by Derain, with a small dab of white, but by particularly vibrant yellow brushstrokes. There is an interplay between the shades of ochre, yellow and green, illuminated by the white of the dish.
Derain’s skilful brushwork is particularly evident in this painting and gives it a lively intensity in spite of its small format.
