The artwork titled “Tree-lined Road, Rouen” was painted by Paul Gauguin in 1885. Gauguin, who is known for his significant contribution to the Post-Impressionist movement, created this piece during his time in Déville-lès-Rouen/Maromme/Déville, France. The medium employed for this landscape is oil on canvas. Even though Gauguin is associated with Post-Impressionism, “Tree-lined Road, Rouen” reflects the Impressionist style, which he experimented with early in his career. The painting is currently held in a private collection.
In this artwork, Gauguin portrays a lush and vibrant pathway rich with autumnal hues. Tall trees line up along the sides of the viewer’s perspective, leading the eye down the road. The brushwork is loose and quick, capturing the fleeting quality of light as well as the essence of the natural surroundings. The colors are bold, with the orange, yellow, and red leaves contrasting against the cooler blues and greens in the background, indicative of the changing seasons. The ground is rendered with a series of thick, impressionistic brushstrokes of green and yellow, suggesting the texture of grass and fallen leaves. There is a sense of tranquility and harmony conveyed through the interplay of light and color in this serene depiction of a tree-lined road during fall. Gauguin’s signature can be seen in the lower left corner, anchoring the piece as a work of his early Impressionist phase.
