Valette Adolphe – View Of Moustiers-sainte-marie – Oil On Canvas - Signed

Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard, not mounted on a stretcher. It depicts the famous village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (Alpes de Haute-Provence), nestled in its spectacular mountain setting.
The village and the rock blend harmoniously, the former being treated in lighter tones than the latter. The vegetation, in which we recognize the silvery gray foliage of the olive trees, ensures a lively presence in this mineral universe. The scene is crowned by a blue sky characteristic of the south of France.
The work is signed lower left. It is in excellent condition, protected under glass and very well framed. Everything is in perfect condition and ready to adorn your wall.

The artist
Pierre Adolphe Valette (1876-1942) was a French Impressionist painter who left an indelible mark on British art, particularly in Manchester. Born in Saint-Étienne in the Loire region, Valette first trained in decorative arts in his hometown before continuing his studies at the École Municipale de Dessin de Bordeaux.
In 1904, at the age of 28, Valette moved to Manchester, a thriving English industrial city at the time. This foggy, smoky metropolis became his main source of inspiration. He captured cityscapes, canals, and industrial scenes with remarkable sensitivity, transforming industrial grayness into poetic visions bathed in mist and light with his artist's eye.
From 1906 to 1920, Valette taught at the Manchester School of Art, where he profoundly influenced many local artists, including the renowned L.S. Lowry, who considered him a mentor. His French Impressionist approach introduced a new perspective to British art at the time.

In 1928, Valette returned to France, where he continued to paint until his death in 1942 in Lyon. The work we offer here dates from this period.
This return to his roots allowed him to explore new landscapes and themes, creating a contrast with his Manchester paintings. Several aspects characterize this period:
First, there is a notable thematic change. While Manchester had inspired mist-drenched industrial cityscapes, France offered more rural and Mediterranean views. He then painted landscapes of the Rhône Valley, Provence, and scenes of French rural life. The brighter, clearer light of southern France gradually replaced the misty, smoky atmospheres of Manchester.
Second, his color palette evolved considerably. The dark, bluish, and grayish tones that dominated his English works gave way to warmer, brighter colors influenced by Mediterranean light. Ochres, golden yellows, and more intense blues appeared in his French canvases.
Valette's technique also underwent a certain transformation. While his approach remains fundamentally impressionist, some critics note a sometimes freer, almost post-impressionist touch in certain later works. His painting nevertheless retains this particular sensitivity to light and atmosphere that is his signature.

Valette's French works are today mainly preserved in private collections and in a few French museums, notably in Lyon and Saint-Étienne, his hometown. The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon owns some of his paintings from this period.
Valette leaves behind an artistic legacy that continues to be rediscovered and appreciated.

Work on display at the gallery (07240).
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