École française (XX) - Notre Dame

Pictura Subastas presents this magnificent artwork belonging to the French school, which depicts a large blue cathedral viewed from a square with trees and passersby, uniting historic grandeur with the serenity of everyday life. The painting stands out for its excellent technique and the high pictorial quality it conveys.

· Frame dimensions: 36x30x4 cm.
· Unframed dimensions: 30x24 cm.
· Mixed media, hand-signed by the artist at the bottom right.
· The piece is in good conservation 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 included photographs are an integral part of the lot description. Digital mockup representation; there may be differences compared to the actual article in color, scale and details.

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

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This painting presents an evocative urban scene featuring the imposing façade of a grand cathedral, viewed from a landscaped area with trees, vegetation and small human figures. The architecture occupies most of the composition and rises with a monumental presence, while the people in the foreground introduce scale, movement and a cotidiana dimension. The whole is wrapped in a luminous, almost dreamlike atmosphere, dominated by blues, greens and soft yellows.

The cathedral rises from the bottom to reach the upper edge of the work. Its façade appears built through a succession of vertical lines that emphasize its height and monumentality. Light blue and dark blue tones alternate with beige and whitish areas, creating an architecture that seems to dematerialize under light and partially fuse with the sky.

In the lower zone of the building there are several entrances topped with pointed arches. These vertical and narrow forms evoke religious historic architecture and guide the gaze toward the higher levels. The bluish shadows inside the arches contrast with the clarity of the walls and add depth to the façade.

In the central area stands a large circular opening reminiscent of a rose window. Its round shape breaks with the predominance of vertical lines and becomes one of the main visual centers of the composition. Around it there are other elongated windows and small architectural elements that suggest the building’s decorative richness without describing every detail rigidly.

The top section shows several vertical structures that could correspond to towers, buttresses, or large windows. These shapes rise against a light, clear surface, extending the architecture upward. The blue takes on a special intensity here, giving the building a light, airy appearance, as if the cathedral were formed by light, air, and reflections.

To the right stands a large tree with a dark trunk and green canopy. Its branches extend over part of the façade, creating an organic contrast to the building’s geometry. The curvilinear shapes of the vegetation soften the verticality of the architecture and establish a dialogue between nature and human construction.

The vegetation extends horizontally through the central and lower areas. The intense greens, turquoises and bluish tones form a shrubbery band that separates the cathedral from the space where the figures move. This landscaped area introduces freshness and makes one think of a square or park in front of the monument.

In the foreground several human figures are distributed irregularly. Some walk alone, while others appear to form small groups or couples. Their silhouettes are built with dark colors, reds, browns and blues, and their small size reinforces the impressive scale of the building rising behind them.

One figure dressed in blue occupies the central lower area and seems to stop in front of the cathedral. Its isolated position and the orientation toward the monument make the character a possible representation of the viewer within the scene itself. Through this figure, the work invites contemplation of the architecture and experiencing its grandeur from a human perspective.

The ground in the foreground is divided by bluish horizontal lines that could suggest the edge of a sidewalk, a street, or a separation within the plaza. These bands provide stability to the composition and contrast with the intense verticality of the cathedral and trees. At the same time, they create different depth levels between the observer, the figures and the building.

The sky and light are expressed through pale yellows, creams, soft greens and white areas. This luminosity envelops the architecture and creates a warm atmosphere, despite the predominance of blues. The combination of cool and warm colors conveys a sense of serenity and turns the urban scene into a vision charged with sensitivity.

The composition blends the monumental and the everyday. The cathedral represents permanence, history and spirituality, while the small figures embody the transient movement of daily life. The tree and gardens act as elements of unity between both worlds, integrating the architecture within a living, inhabited environment.

Overall, the work offers a poetic and luminous interpretation of a grand cathedral viewed from a landscaped plaza. The blues of the façade, the green of the trees, and the presence of passersby create a balanced scene in which history, nature, and urban life coexist harmoniously. The painting conveys admiration for the architecture and turns a everyday moment before the monument into an experience of contemplation and beauty.