Adrien Bas (1884-1925), The Baou Of Saint-jeannet

Oil on panel. 50 x 50 cm. Signed lower left. With Frame.

This painting by Adrien Bas illustrates the sensitivity to landscape that characterizes his work, for which he is renowned for its luminous and expressive qualities. Inspired by the Cézannian tradition, Bas captures here the majesty of the Baou, an iconic rocky peak of Provence, bathed in Mediterranean light. The composition highlights the power of the relief, rendered with broad brushstrokes and subtle nuances of green, ochre, and blue, conveying the shimmering air and southern warmth. True to his style, Bas favors the spontaneity of the brushwork and the accuracy of the atmosphere over meticulous detail, endowing the scene with a restrained poetry and a striking modernity. This landscape, both solid and luminous, bears witness to the artist’s deep connection to nature, light, and the truth of the motif, while also reflecting his distinctive artistic personality.
 
Adrien Bas, coming from asilk-making background, entered the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in 1902, where he was trained by the painter Pierre Bonnaud. Between 1920 and 1924, he joined the Ziniars group, a collective of innovative Lyonnais artists. As early as 1901, he exhibited at the Société Lyonnaise des Beaux-Arts, and later at the Salon d’Automne Lyonnais between 1909 and 1923. Twelve of his paintings and numerous drawings were then incorporated into the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. 

Primarily known for his landscapes of Lyon and its surroundings, always painted directly from nature, he was fascinated by the changing lights along the banks of the Saône River. He excelled in capturing the transparency of water and mist, which he evoked through long, subtle brushstrokes. Avoiding the conventional landscapes typicalof watercolorists, he preferred places like Villeurbanne, La Mulatière, Fourvière, and La Villette. 

His style stood apart from the traditional Lyonnais school of painting, drawing inspiration from Fauvism. His works are characterized by broad, generous brushstrokes, with a firm and sweeping touch. However, Adrien Bas eventually destroyed much of his work,favoring the spontaneity of sketches (pochades) over the finality of completed canvases.  

He died at the young age of 41, in1925, leaving behind a body of work that is both sensitive and luminous.