Armand Berton (1854-1917) - L’ocre des moissons sur la côte des Havres

Hello, I am offering an antique, authentic watercolor signed on the back of the work as “a. Berton” for Armand BERTON (1854-1917), a painter-referent artist listed in numerous national museums. This work is attributed to Armand BERTON, who is known for having stayed and created watercolors in the Cotentin region near Montmartin-sur-Mer. This place has all the characteristics of his watercolor with its wide plains and cultivated fields very close to the maritime shore. The signature appears authentic. The composition relies on a classic repoussoir structure, very commonly used in French landscape art from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Two trees frame the scene on each side and create a visual “window” effect that naturally directs the eye toward the center. In the foreground, along the leaf edge, a lateral band in pinkish-ochre color of a path establishes a threshold between the spectator and the scene. The second plane is the heart of the image reserved for human activity. One contemplates a vast stretch of a blond field with silhouettes of peasants near their sheaves. The background is a thin blue line of the sea with a summer sky bringing depth up to the horizon. This lively scene bears the imprint of several hallmark symbols of French painting of this era. First, there is the harmony between Man and Nature, the miniature, featureless figures being blended into the landscape. Humans are not depicted as masters of Nature, but as a discreet component of its cycle. Next comes the haymaking, the traditional symbol of abundance, labor rewarded, and marking the cycle of the seasons. The sheaves embody rural stability and late summer. Jean-François MILLET, originally from the same region, often immortalized this kind of landscape. The dirt road represents a transition; it separates two worlds: that of the observer and the world of the earth’s labor. One also notes the association of the cultivated field with the maritime fringe, which evokes the specific character of littoral landscapes such as Brittany or Normandy, highly favored by watercolorists of that era. This encounter between land and sea marks the union between nourishing terroir and the vast marine expanse. Finally, among the symbols of this watercolor, the striking contrast between the left tree with reddish-golden tones and the right tree, green, evokes the passage of time and the changing season underway. Dimensions of the watercolor: 24 x 15.5 cm Dimensions of the frame: 39 x 28 cm This work, in perfect condition, is presented in an old frame of very high professional quality. The photos were taken in high resolution (64 MB) under natural light and without any retouching. The quality of the rendered image will depend on each viewer’s screen and then on the room lighting where the painting will be displayed. This watercolor by Armand BERTON captures with finesse the serenity of the Normandy coast where agricultural activity harmonizes with the maritime landscape. This very balanced composition and the lightness of its brushwork convey the poetry of a late summer on the Côte des Havres.

Estimation:€400

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