55 - Maxime Maufra

Maxime Maufra (French, 1861-1918) La Plage de Beg-Meil oil on canvas signed Maufra (lower left) 15 x 18 in. (38.1 x 45.7 cm) Property from a Private Collection, South Carolina. This lot is located in Philadelphia. Framed: 24 x 27 x 3 in. The unlined canvas is in overall very good condition. There is scattered surface soiling in the sky. On verso there is some staining throughout. Under UV light, there is evidence of inpainting in several small areas of the sky, including in the top left corner. Additional images available upon request. The present lot is registered in the Archives Durand-Ruel under the number #29335. A photo-certificate signed by Caroline Durand-Ruel Godfroy and dated February 7, 2017 accompanies this lot. Provenance: Private Collection, Aury, acquired in the 1960s. Thence by descent. Christie's, London, sale of March 1, 2017, Lot 536 (as Plage aux Grands Arbres). Acquired directly from the above sale by the present owner. Lot Note: In his views of the Breton coastline, Maxime Maufra captured the untamed beauty of a landscape shaped by the ever-changing moods of the Atlantic. Situated near Fouesnant in southern Finistère, Beg-Meil is characterized by its rocky shores, sheltered coves, and emerald-green waters, a distinctive setting that attracted artists seeking to convey the powerful atmosphere of Brittany. In the present work, Maufra evokes the coast beneath a heavy, slate-grey sky, where the gathering clouds suggest the imminent arrival of rain. Tall trees frame the landscape, lending the composition a sense of shelter and verticality, while the vivid green of the sea provides a striking counterpoint to the somber tones overhead. This interplay between darkening skies and luminous coastal waters captures the particular character of the Breton seascape, where moments of tranquility are often charged with the promise of an approaching storm. A leading painter of Brittany, Maufra developed an individual style that combined the atmospheric sensitivity of Impressionism with a more assertive use of color and structure. Having encountered Paul Gauguin and the artists of the Pont-Aven circle, he remained deeply committed to painting directly from nature, exploring the changing effects of weather, light, and season along the Atlantic coast. In the present canvas, his expressive handling of the landscape conveys not simply a specific place, but the elemental poetry of Brittany itself.