“Houses of Cagnes” is a cityscape painting by Chaim Soutine, created approximately between 1924 and 1925. This oil on canvas work is representative of the Expressionism movement and is part of a private collection. The artwork encapsulates the era’s emotional and gestural approach to representation.
Soutine’s painting features a condensed cluster of houses nestled on a hilly terrain. The brushwork is loose and energetic, with bold strokes that convey a sense of movement and vitality within the scene. The color palette is fairly vibrant, with a mix of yellows, greens, whites, and shades of red, suggesting both natural and man-made elements. One can sense the artist’s focus on the emotional rendering of the landscape rather than a factual depiction. The expressive distortions and swirling forms of the houses, as well as the exaggerated slant of the hillside, suggest a kind of dynamic tension and an intimate, subjective response to the place depicted. Each building seems to be shifting or swaying, which might be reflective of Soutine’s personal vision and his interpretation of the landscape’s essence. The background shows muted forms of nature and a hint of a tumultuous sky, contributing to the overall dramatic effect of the painting.