André Chiodo (c. 1945) - L'automne sur le versant

Pictura Subastas presents this magnificent artwork by André Chiodo, depicting a small rural house sheltered by an imposing tree, surrounded by autumnal vegetation and soft pinkish mountains under a clear sky. The painting stands out for its excellent technique and the high pictorial quality it conveys.

· Framed dimensions: 43x37x6 cm.
· Unframed dimensions: 27x22 cm.
· Oil on panel hand-signed by the artist at the bottom right.
· The piece is in good condition.
· The work is sold with a precious frame (included in the auction as a gift).

The work comes from an exclusive private collection in Girona.

Important note: the photographs included are an integral part of the lot description.

The painting will be professionally packaged by an IVEX expert (https://www.instagram.com/ivex.online/), using high-quality materials to ensure its protection. The shipping price covers both the cost of professional packaging and the transport itself.
Shipping will be via Correos, GLS or NACEX with tracking. International shipping available.

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This painting presents a gathered mountainous landscape featuring a large evergreen tree that rises majestically above a small rural house. The composition unfolds amidst abundant vegetation, slopes painted in autumn colors, and pinkish mountains that fade softly in the distance. The intense dark foliage of the central tree contrasts with the brightness of the sky and with the yellows, ochres and greens of the hills, creating a serene, intimate scene deeply linked to mountain life.

The big tree occupies the center and is the most important element of the composition. Its trunk is partly hidden by the branches and by the house roof, but its crown extends to the top. This marked verticality organizes the entire landscape and directs the eye from the dwelling to the sky.

The tree’s silhouette presents an irregular and stepped shape. The branches extend to both sides in large dark masses that narrow toward the top. This structure conveys strength and resilience, as if the tree had watched over the little building at its feet for many years.

The foliage is dominated by very dark greens, blacks, bluish grays and small violet nuances. Some areas receive a soft light and are differentiated by brighter reflections, while others remain in deep shadow. This alternation adds volume and prevents the crown from appearing as a uniform surface.

The lower branches spread wide and cover much of the roof and nearby vegetation. Their horizontal forms contrast with the upward push of the crown. The tree seems to extend over the house like a large natural canopy that provides shade and protection.

At the top, the silhouette becomes thinner and lighter. The tip is clearly outlined against the blue-tinged sky, adding elegance to the whole. Some small branches protrude irregularly, reinforcing the natural look of the form.

The rural house appears in the central foreground, partially hidden by the tree, the shrubs, and the lower boundary of the composition. Its small size compared to the surrounding vegetation and mountains underlines the vastness of the natural environment. The architecture humbly integrates into the landscape without trying to dominate it.

The roof is the most visible part of the dwelling. Its sloped cover shows gray, violet, brown and blueish tones. The different color bands suggest aged tiles, small irregularities and areas where light hits differently.

The roof forms a wide diagonal descending to the right. This direction adds dynamism and balances the verticality of the tree. The edges of the roof are defined by dark and light lines that help convey its volume.

The grayish and violet reflections of the tiles establish a chromatic relationship with the background mountains. The house seems to collect on its roof the cool colors of the atmosphere, while its walls retain warmer, earthy tones.

The visible facade appears built with creams, muted yellows, ochres and small grayish nuances. Its brightness contrasts softly with the darkness of the roof and vegetation. Although partially hidden, it adds a welcoming note to the foreground.

In the lower right corner a dark opening stands out that could be a door or a window. Its reddish-brown color stands out against the light wall. This small detail suggests an inhabited interior or a sheltered entry from the mountain cold.

The small dimensions of the opening reinforce the simplicity of the house. There are no large decorative elements, balconies or monumental structures. Everything conveys the idea of a functional dwelling linked to rural work and adapted to the surroundings.

In the lower left area another dark, irregular structure is observed. It could be a shed, an auxiliary building, a pile of wood, or a part of the house at a different level. Its browns, violets and blacks add weight to the foreground.

This form appears partially covered by vegetation. Its integration with the terrain makes it difficult to separate architecture from nature precisely. This ambiguity is attractive, as it conveys the impression of an old place where plants and buildings have coexisted for a long time.

The foreground is occupied by abundant vegetation of dark greens, bluish and grayish tones. The plants form compact masses around the house, concealing the lower part of the walls. Some leaves or branches rise in narrow, vertical shapes.

In the lower right corner several elongated plants appear that cut across the light facade. Their dark silhouettes introduce rhythm and depth. The proximity of these shapes makes the viewer feel they are looking at the house from behind a small garden or herb-covered ground.

Beside the dwelling a fence or structure made of light lines and greens stands out. Its posts and slats are partially hidden by the vegetation. This element allows imagining a small orchard, a corral or a plot around the house.

The fence provides a discreet hint of human activity. Although no figures appear, its presence indicates the space has been organized and used. Nature dominates the landscape but preserves traces of daily life linked to the land.

To the left, a hillside covered with trees and shrubs rises. Its slope ascends toward the top and creates a large diagonal that frames the landscape. The colors range from dark greens to yellows, ochres, browns and oranges.

The color variety of the slope suggests a transitional season, possibly autumn. Some trees still retain green leaves, while others show golden and copper tones. This coexistence creates a rich, lively surface.

Crowning shapes are distributed with rounded, overlapping forms. The nearest trees appear dark and defined, while those farther away adopt softer colors. This gradation reinforces depth and visually expands the landscape.

In the middle-left zone several shrubs of intense yellows and greens appear. Their brightness contrasts with the large central tree. These warm masses seem to receive direct light and enliven the lower part of the slope.

Some trees show brown and reddish tones that introduce an autumnal character. Their rounded canopies integrate among the greens and create a slow rhythmic chromatic. The irregular distribution avoids monotony.

The hillside descends toward the center and is partially obscured by the tree. This overlap increases depth, as it allows a clear distinction between the foreground and the middle mountain. The tree acts as a dark curtain against the bright colors of the background.

Behind the vegetation rise large mountains in pinkish, violet and grayish tones. Their soft profiles occupy much of the central and right areas. The delicacy of these colors contrasts with the darkness of the tree and conveys a strong sense of distance.

The mountains seem wrapped in a light atmosphere that softens their contours. No specific details of rocks or vegetation are visible, only large color masses. This simplification makes the relief serene and almost ethereal.

The summit on the right is wide and rounded. Its pale pink hue relates to some tones present in the sky and vegetation. The mountain seems to receive a soft light, perhaps from early morning hours or a late afternoon.

Toward the center, another elevation is partially hidden by the tree crown. Its silhouette is hinted behind the dark branches. This overlap reinforces the monumentality of the tree and places the mountains in a clearly distant plane.

In the lower right zone are seen trees and shrubs in yellow, ochre and green tones. These shapes appear brighter than the foreground vegetation. Their presence creates a transition between the house and the mountains.

Some distant trees seem grouped in an open area or a valley. Their warm colors suggest fields, autumn forests or sunlit slopes. This space adds breadth and prevents the dwelling from feeling completely enclosed.

The sky occupies the top part and is dominated by a clear, grayish, slightly cool blue. Its brightness provides a clean backdrop for the tree silhouette. The absence of clearly defined clouds focuses attention on the relief and vegetation.

In certain areas the sky takes on white and pearl gray tones. These variations suggest a slightly veiled atmosphere. The pale blue contrasts with the earthy and dark colors of the landscape, providing balance.

The overall light is soft and diffuse. No harsh shadows or visible sun are perceived, but an evenly distributed illumination. This quality contributes to the sense of tranquility and contemplation.

The color range is organized by the opposition between the greens and blacks of the tree, the yellows and ochres of the hillside, the pinks of the mountains, and the blues of the sky. Each color group corresponds to a different plane and helps build depth.

The most intense tones concentrate in the foreground, while colors progressively soften toward the horizon. This transition creates a convincing sense of distance and gives the scene an enveloping atmosphere.

The composition is structured around three main elements: the house at the bottom, the central tree, and the distant mountains. The dwelling represents human presence, the tree embodies the strength of nearby nature, and the mountains widen the landscape toward a grander dimension.

The large tree acts as a bridge between earth and sky. Its roots seem to lie near the house, while its crown rises toward the bright area. This central position endows it with an almost protective and symbolic dimension.

The house, on the other hand, conveys intimacy and refuge. Its light walls and its dark roof seem to offer protection against mountain weather. The surrounding vegetation reinforces the sense of isolation and serenity.

The absence of human figures intensifies the silence. However, the dwelling, the door and the fence suggest a nearby presence. One can imagine its inhabitants working in the fields, traversing the hillside, or staying inside.

The scene evokes a way of life closely linked to natural cycles. The autumn colors, the mountains and the trees determine the character of the place. The house appears adapted to that environment and is part of it.

There is also a nostalgic dimension. The small dwelling surrounded by vegetation may awaken memories of familiar places, mountain refuges or landscapes visited during childhood. Its isolation makes it a symbol of calm and belonging.

The pink mountains bring a poetic quality. Their unexpectedly soft color distances the landscape from a severe representation and fills it with sensitivity. In front of them, the dark silhouette of the tree gains still greater strength.

The composition simultaneously conveys permanence and change. The house and the tree seem stable, while the colors of the foliage announce seasonal change. The mountains remain in the distance as silent witnesses to that cycle.

Overall, this precious painting offers a serene and deeply evocative view of a small rural house protected by a large dark tree and surrounded by autumnal vegetation, with gentle pink mountains rising in the distance. The grayish roof, the light walls, the fence, the golden shrubs and the hillside covered with trees build a landscape full of intimacy and memory. The harmonious union between architecture, nature and atmosphere makes the scene a poetic celebration of shelter, silence and the beauty of mountain life.