Georges Braque Le Viaduc de l’Estaque (The Viaduct at L’Estaque), c. 1950 presents a pretty, Arcadian landscape. With rolling hills in the foreground, the town and viaduct are framed by overhanging trees as if curtains on a stage. Central to the composition are the massive, majestic arches of the viaduct. Braque has chosen a color palate composed of blues, yellows, and greens, for this work. The result is a cool yet sunny work – the trees shed blue shadows on the ground and the sun warms the earth with its yellow glare.

The original painting that this work is based off of was inspired by a Cezanne exhibition in Paris in 1907 where he was exhibiting landscapes from L’Estaque. This small town in the south of France was a common painting spot for many impressionist painters. This work was created at the very beginning of the Cubist movement, and in this work we can see the breakdown of objects into more simple shapes – we have not made it all the way through to the essential cubism, but this is clearly a step along the way. This work combines historical elements and shows a period in the progression of Cubism, making it a very special work of art.

Created circa 1950 after an oil painting of the same title created in 1908, this color aquatint and engraving is hand signed by Georges Braque (Argenteuil, Val-d’Oise, 1882 – Paris, 1963) in pencil in the lower right and numbered from the edition of 150 in pencil in the lower left.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Georges Braque The Viaduct at l’Estaque (Le viaduc de l’Estaque), c. 1950 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Laud, Jean and Nicole Worms de Romilly. Braque: Cubism. France: Galerie Maeght, 1982. Original painting from which this work was based listed and illustrated as no. 1 on pg. 61.
2. Rubin, William. Picasso and Braque: Pioneering Cubism. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1989. Original painting from which this work was based listed and illustrated on pg. 79.
3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Georges Braque The Viaduct at l’Estaque (Le viaduc de l’Estaque), c. 1950 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.