Clearance Pamono Jean Arene, The Corn Field, Blés a Vincelles, 1973, Oil on Canvas

Large French Expressionist oil on canvas painting of a golden cornfield and landscape beyond by Jean Arène. Signed and dated bottom left. The painting is titled to the back stretcher. Presented in original white painted wood frame made by the artist.

This captivating landscape painting presents a symphony of undulating corn fields bathed in golden and earthy tones. The artist expertly captures the essence of a serene countryside, with rolling hills stretching into the horizon. Distinct brushstrokes convey the texture of the fields, adding depth and movement to the composition. A lone tree stands on the left, punctuating the expanse with its contrasting green hue, while subtle blues suggest distant mountains under a soft, cloud-streaked sky. The artwork’s unique blend of abstract and representational styles invites contemplation, evoking both tranquillity and the dynamic rhythms of nature. The bold lines and simplified forms reflect a modernist approach, making this piece both timeless and evocative.

Jean Arène was a student of August Chabaud, a highly sought after French artist in Provence who in turn took his inspiration from Cezanne.

After a stint in 1949 at the School of Fine Arts in Marseille, then a year in Paris in 1950 with the poster artist Paul Colin, Jean Arène returned to Marseille the following year where he founded the “Group of under 30” with Trofimoff, Trabuc, Zutter and Mela and began painting as an autodidact, while earning a living in advertising and decoration.

His first exhibition dates from 1956. Then, from 1957, Jean Arène left the city for the countryside, which served as his base for many trips, often hitchhiking and backpacking, but always accompanied by a pencil and a sketchbook: Spain, Morocco in 1957, West Africa in 1960, (followed by an exhibition in Dakar), Northern Europe (Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lapland , Lofoten, Netherlands and Belgium) In 1963 a trip to Tunisia. Then in 1966 his first retrospective in Toulon.

In 1970 Arène left for the United States and Mexico, followed two years later by West Africa again: Tassili, the Sahara and Algeria.

He exhibited extensively in Provence and the Gard: Aix-en-Provence, Uzès, Avignon, La Ciotat and Cassis. But his travels also led him to exhibit abroad: Dakar, Ouagadougou, French cultural centres in Algeria, Morocco and Indonesia, where he also started preparing one of his books which later became a series.