Les Bœufs Dans La Montagne 1922

Georges Valmier made this painting, Les Bœufs Dans La Montagne, in 1922, with a clear delight in the process of artmaking. He’s using bold geometry, sharp colour contrasts and simple, flat areas of colour to build up an image of a landscape with cattle that’s both representational and abstract at the same time. The paint here is pretty thin, giving it an almost graphic feel, like screen printing. I love how the colours sit next to each other – the sharp jolt of orange against green, the soft, chalky blues and greys that make the other colours pop even more. Look at the patch of dark blue, those little circles inside it feel both considered and playful. It’s like he's building up the shapes in a very deliberate way, but also leaving room for happy accidents. Valmier clearly knew his Cubism and his Purism, but you can also see a link to Léger in the graphic quality of his work, with the use of bold lines and flat planes. To me, the real beauty of this piece is the way Valmier takes those influences and makes something so joyful and unique.