Oil on panel "Roquelaure", Agustín Carrera, Art Deco, early 20th century – Spain

Superb, large and significant oil on panel by the famous Fauvist artist Agustín Carrera (1878-1952). Born in Madrid to French parents, he studied in Marseille and Paris and benefited from several scholarships, including the Indochina Scholarship in 1912, which allowed him to travel to Asia, a region that became a recurring theme in his work, particularly in his monumental pieces. He also trained in Montmartre, Paris, under the Impressionists. A true Fauvist, a contemporary of Vlaminck, Derain, Valtat, but especially of Camoin and Manguin, after the First World War, during which he was mobilised and wounded, his style evolved towards Art Deco with a rich palette, giving importance to the support as a constructive element. In 1922, he won the competition for the decoration of the ceiling of the Théâtre de l'Opéra de Marseille (Municipal Opera of Marseille). An eminent member of the École Provençale, it is time to restore him to the place he deserves in history, as after his death, Carrera fell into a long and unjustified oblivion. This work from the early century, located in Roquelaure, in the Gers department of the Midi-Pyrénées region, features two beautiful women in a relaxed and uninhibited pose in the foreground. Behind them, a group of three older women dressed in black harvesting wheat. In the background, almost at the centre of the composition, the village that gives its name to the work can be seen, adding depth. The loose brushstrokes favour the drawing, outlining the silhouettes and volumes to highlight the subject, resulting in a balanced pictorial composition with a strong visual impact and a clearly Art Deco aesthetic.