L'œuvre en bref

This painting belongs to Nicolas de Staël's work in the 20th century, during a period when he explored highly simplified urban landscapes. Based in the south of France, he painted Marseille, moving away from any realistic description to focus on the structure of the landscape. The theme of snow, rare in this geographical context, allowed him to reduce the scene to relationships between planes and muted colours, without any narrative elements.

The composition is organised into large horizontal areas. A light blue expanse occupies the centre of the painting, suggesting the sky or the sea, bordered by grey and white bands. On the left, stacked rectangular shapes evoke buildings, rendered in white and beige, with irregular contours. On the right, an isolated dark shape stands out against a light background. The pictorial surface is marked by visible brushstrokes, thick layers and sharp transitions between the masses of colour.

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