The Fence at Marnat 1915

Émilie Charmy’s oil painting “The Fence at Marnat” captures a sun-drenched landscape through a sophisticated arrangement of color and form. The composition is structured around a low fence in the foreground, leading the eye toward a villa nestled amidst trees under a cobalt sky. Charmy’s application of paint is decisive; each brushstroke functions as a distinct mark, building up layers that suggest form rather than define it precisely. This technique flattens the perspective, inviting us to consider the painting less as a window onto the world and more as a constructed surface. The choice of color, with its contrasts between the cool blues and greens of the background and the warm oranges and browns of the villa, enhances the sense of depth while maintaining the painting’s overall flatness. In essence, the painting invites us to contemplate how art destabilizes our conventional understanding of pictorial space. Through her manipulation of paint and perspective, Charmy creates a world that exists both within and beyond the boundaries of the canvas.