“Plane Trees at Céret,” created in 1920 by Chaim Soutine, is an exemplary piece of expressionist landscape art from France, measuring 72.5 by 53.5 centimeters. This artwork, now held in a private collection, typifies the vivid and emotional style characteristic of the expressionism movement.
The artwork exudes a sense of dynamic motion and emotional intensity, typical of expressionist works. The plane trees depicted appear almost alive, their trunks and branches swirling and intertwining with vivid, vigorous brushstrokes. The palette is rich with earthy tones—greens, browns, and deep reds—lending a sense of vitality to the natural scene. The distorted forms and intense color contrasts evoke a powerful, almost surreal atmosphere, capturing the essence of the landscape in a manner that transcends mere visual representation. This painting speaks to the viewer through its raw, expressive energy and its dynamic portrayal of nature, indicative of Soutine’s unique artistic vision.