Roger de La Fresnaye, French, 1885-1925 – Landscape Philadelphia Museum of Art

The composition presents a fragmented view of what appears to be a rural landscape. The artist has eschewed traditional perspective and naturalistic representation in favor of a fractured arrangement of geometric forms and planes. A dominant feature is the cluster of buildings situated centrally within the frame, their roofs rendered in varying shades of red and white, sharply contrasting with the surrounding greenery. These structures are not depicted as cohesive units but rather as collections of angular shapes, seemingly detached from one another.
The landscape itself is similarly deconstructed. Rolling hills are suggested through broad strokes of dark green and brown, while a body of water – likely a river or lake – is represented by an expanse of blue-grey, its surface broken up with patches of lighter color that might indicate reflections or ripples. Above this, the sky is punctuated by several large, puffy clouds, their forms simplified into rounded shapes.
The artist’s use of color contributes to the overall sense of disorientation and abstraction. The palette is muted, relying on earth tones and cool blues, but with occasional bursts of brighter red that draw the eye. Theres a deliberate flatness to the application of paint; shadows are not blended smoothly, and forms appear to exist independently of one another, reinforcing the impression of a landscape disassembled and reassembled according to an internal logic.
Subtly, there’s a sense of melancholy or quietude conveyed by this arrangement. The fractured nature of the scene suggests a disruption of harmony, perhaps hinting at themes of displacement or alienation. While the subject matter is ostensibly pastoral, the artists approach prevents any sentimental reading; instead, we are presented with an intellectualized and emotionally restrained vision of rural life. The signature in the lower right corner, executed in a similar style to the rest of the work, further integrates it into the overall aesthetic.