Meditate with Auguste Herbin (1882-1960)

Céret, a small town in the south of France located not far from Perpignan, borders Spain. The experience of the border is natural for its inhabitants since the city is surrounded by passes which constitute places of passage towards Spain. Is it any wonder then that the city has also attracted artists of all kinds, especially those who have been able to overcome all obstacles?

At the beginning of the 20th century, we met Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and many others there. In 1913, a northerner, Auguste Herbin, joined her in turn. Throughout his training, the latter absorbed all the energies of the pictorial experiences that surrounded him, first in Lille, then in Paris. From Fauvism, he captures an elegant art of bright color.

From the Cubists, a transformed view of reality, multiplying the planes and angles. From abstraction, finally, he learned audacity and freedom in his style. In 1913, he painted several views of the Catalan city, including this warm undergrowth. The small stone house, with its provocative cubic shape, taken in a geometric green setting, lets rays of light and color pass through. A dry stone wall reminds us that the abstraction of forms is also present in the practices of the inhabitants of these lands, muleteers and peasants who have patiently drawn the landscapes for centuries. The light diffracts in all directions, transforming the world into a stained glass window crossed by grace.