Atelier de l’artiste 

Collection Marguerite Sérusier (jusqu'en 1950)

Collection Henriette Boutaric ((? - 1984), Légataire universelle de cette dernière)

Collection particulière (acquis auprès de cette dernière à la fin des années 1970)

Vente Brest, Thierry-Lannon & associés, 10 décembre 2016, lot 197

Acquis lors de cette vente par l'actuel propriétaire

Collection Louis Grandchamp des Raux

La Gazette Drouot, n° 42, 2 décembre 2016, reproduit en couleur p. 217

La Gazette Drouot, n° 44, 16 décembre 2016, reproduit en couleur p. 116

Cette œuvre est référencée dans le catalogue raisonné en ligne de l'œuvre de Paul Sérusier, https://www.comite-serusier.com/catalogue-raisonne-paul-serusier/sous-bois-aux-arbres-japonisants/ (date de consultation 30 mai 2026)

Une attestation du Comité Paul Sérusier sera remise à l'acquéreur.

Painted in 1917 near Châteauneufdu- Faou, this work illustrates the artistic maturity of the painter and the culmination of his exploration of landscape.

In this woodland scene, Sérusier expresses his deep conviction: that nature knows no straight lines, which are a human invention, but is organized according to a rhythm of curves and undulating lines. He does not seek to copy nature, but to convey its organic logic and inner vitality. The simplified forms, the sinuous tree trunks and the palette restricted to greens, browns and reds contribute to a colourful harmony imbued with serenity. Similarly the three white touches on the flower in the foreground do not answer to any requirement of naturalism, but aim to intensify the luminosity of the composition and capture the viewer’s gaze. The artist was now applying paint in small fragmented and vibrant strokes instead of flat areas of colour.

The stylisation of forms and the absence of perspective reveal the continuing influence of Japanese art that Sérusier discovered as early as 1890 at the exhibition of prints at the École des Beaux-Arts and through the magazine Le Japon Artistique. In a period that was marked by isolation, Sérusier sought to convey, through nature, a meditation on the harmony of the world.