“Forest at Martigues” is an oil on canvas artwork created around 1909 by the artist André Derain. It belongs to the Expressionism art movement and falls within the landscape genre. The dimensions of the artwork are 81.3 x 100.3 cm, and it is currently located at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The artwork, “Forest at Martigues,” presents a deeply expressionistic portrayal of a forested scene. Derain employs dark, bold hues and simplified forms to evoke a somber and contemplative mood. The composition features an interplay of shadows and light through the dense forest, with slender tree trunks unfurling in contorted shapes. The background reveals a hint of architectural structures, partially hidden by the forest, rendered in warm tones that contrast with the otherwise subdued palette. The expressive brushstrokes, characteristic of the Expressionism movement, emphasize emotional depth and the painter’s subjective experience of the landscape.
