Paul Cosandier (XX) - Composition surréaliste à la vache

Paul Cosandier (20th century) – Student of Fernand Léger and Jean Lurçat – Surrealist composition with a cow
Original drawing in blue ballpoint pen on rigid cardboard (1 mm thick).
Dimensions: 31.5 × 49 cm.
Signed 'PC' at the bottom right on the front.
Magnificent unique artwork depicting a stylized cow in a cubist and surrealist style, deconstructed into angular and fragmented geometric shapes. The animal's body is reassembled through layered plans rich in textures: striped hatching, dense floral patterns (small delicate flowers), shaded areas, and dynamic contours. Expressive details include a prominent nasal ring, curved horns, legs adorned with floral motifs, a minimalist eye, and floating abstract elements in the background.
Executed in intense blue monochrome on the natural pale pink background of the cardboard, this composition blends cubist influence (fragmentation and geometrization inherited from Fernand Léger) with poetic surrealism (dreamlike and ornamental associations), with a decorative touch related to the artist's profession as a carton maker.
Reverse: the cardboard bears numerous sketches and preparatory studies by the artist, showcasing their creative process. Among them: a human head with expressive features (prominent eyes, nose, and mouth, with a rather frontal orientation), an abstract elongated figure resembling a turtle shape with floral patterns integrated into an oval form (like a shell decorated with small flowers or butterflies), as well as various geometric and abstract shapes (triangles, including one in red, concentric squares, spirals, circles, wavy lines, zigzags, and linear compositions).
Paul Cosandier, painter and tapestry cartonier, was a student of Fernand Léger and Jean Lurçat. He collaborated with the greatest masters of the 20th century (Léger, Lurçat, Rouault, Bonnard, Matisse, Braque, Chagall...) on the decoration of the Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Grâce church at the Plateau d’Assy (Haute-Savoie), which is classified as a historic monument.
Rare piece in excellent condition, front and back. Ready to be framed (museum glass framing recommended to view both sides or presentation in a shadow box). An opportunity for modern and surrealist art enthusiasts.