Louis Süe, The Parasol Pine, Oil Painting on Canvas, 1940

This early 20th-century oil painting on canvas by French painter, architect, and designer Louis Süe (1875-1968) portrays a sumptuous Mediterranean landscape of large parasol pines against a blue sky and the sea in the background. It showcases a vibrant palette of blue, green and brown, where warm highlights of red in the branches and the ground alternate with cool hues of blue in the foliage and the sea. A fascinating brushwork renders the wind blowing in the trees in a dynamic wave, while the sky is depicted with swirls of blue and white. This inspiring work blends battering wind, dry nature, and shimmering colours to create a magnificent image of a Mediterranean landscape. It is signed by the artist at the front, titled and dated 1940 at the back, and mounted in an impressive stained wood frame. A successful designer of buildings, interiors and products, Louis Süe founded the renowned Compagnie des Arts Français in 1919 with André Mare, promoting Art Déco style and French craftsmanship. A friend of painters Pierre Bonnard and André Derain, he exhibited regularly at the Salon des Indépendants and the Salon d’Automne. His painting work spans landscapes, interior scenes and portraits, combining textured brushwork with shimmering colours.