Pierre Reynaud, Le Soir Près Roanne

An evocative oil on wood depicting an impressionistic red sunset over a landscape in Roanne, central France. The artist, Pierre Reynaud (1881-1943), has used a gorgeous palette of rich red hues to draw us into this immersive scene.

The sun itself is a vivid swirl of colour that radiates and reflects across a stream in the foreground. We’re catching the last of the evening’s light as it vanishes behind a distant hill.

Little is known of Pierre Reynaud but it’s clear that he was underrated given the standard of this piece. All we do know is that he hailed from Belgium and lived in Le Coteau, which is close to Roanne. It appears that he worked alongside other Belgians in that area as he’s mentioned this on the reverse, “Des Belges Le Coteau Loire”.

The painting is housed in a heavy wooden frame and signed in the lower left.