In this delicate composition, Paul Sérusier transports us to a bucolic landscape bathed in vaporous light.
Two young Breton women converse on a verdant hillside, embodying the simplicity and harmony of rural life. One stands, handling a pink cloth, while the other sits engaged in conversation, her ochre skirt contrasting with the omnipresent green. The slender silhouettes of cypress trees and the gentle undulation of hills create an almost dreamlike background, enveloped in characteristic bluish mist. The muted palette, punctuated by vivid accents such as the dotted red of the skirt and warm orange, reveals the influence of Synthetism. Here Sérusier transcends mere representation to achieve a poetic, almost mystical vision of the Brittany he so cherished.
Further Information
- Morning Mists by Paul Sérusier, between 1907 and 1909
- 65.3 × 50.5 cm
- Paris Musées, Petit Palais, Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris
- https://www.parismuseescollections.paris.fr/fr/petit-palais/oeuvres/brumes-du-matin
Paul Sérusier (1864-1927), an emblematic figure of the Nabi movement, was transformed by his 1888 encounter with Gauguin, who encouraged him to paint his famous “Talisman.” The work presented here, created between 1907 and 1909, corresponds to his Breton period, when he regularly stayed in Châteauneuf-du-Faou.
Fascinated by local spirituality and traditions, Sérusier developed an aesthetic combining simplified forms and symbolic colors. His art, nourished by theosophy and esotericism, sought to reveal the hidden essence of nature beyond appearances. This painting perfectly exemplifies his quest for transcendental painting, where each visual element carries profound spiritual significance.
