Artwork
L'Estaque
L'Estaque is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Émilie Charmy. It dates from 1910 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of these motifs reflects the artist’s engagement with the locale’s topography and daily life, rather than overt symbolic or allegorical content.
The painting depicts the coastal town of L'Estaque, situated along the Mediterranean Sea. Charmy’s composition includes identifiable elements such as houses, trees, and the expanse of water, capturing the built environment in relationship to the natural landscape. The inclusion of these motifs reflects the artist’s engagement with the locale’s topography and daily life, rather than overt symbolic or allegorical content.
The work emphasizes the interplay between architecture and nature, presenting the town as an integrated part of the coastal scenery rather than a site of deeper metaphysical meaning.
Technique & Style
L'Estaque is an oil painting on canvas measuring 57.3 × 73.7 cm. The work depicts the coastal landscape of L'Estaque, a village near Marseille, incorporating natural and architectural elements including trees, houses, and the Mediterranean Sea. Charmy's handling of the subject reflects the artistic significance of this Provençal location, which attracted numerous painters in the early twentieth century.
History & Provenance
The work was painted in 1910, during the artist’s early mature period. It entered the collection of Arthur Jerome Eddy, a Chicago-based art collector and critic, who later bequeathed it to the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains held. The painting depicts the Provençal coastal town of L'Estaque, aligning with the artist’s sustained focus on this motif in the period around 1910.
L'Estaque by Émilie Charmy is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The painting was previously owned by Arthur Jerome Eddy before entering the museum's holdings. Painted in 1910 in oil on canvas, the work depicts the Mediterranean coastal village of L'Estaque with its trees, houses, and sea.
No specific accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
Émilie Charmy’s 1910 oil painting titled L’Estaque captures a quiet Mediterranean village. The composition centers on a modest house set among trees, with the sea and distant hills visible beyond. A sweeping branch in the foreground leads the eye across the canvas, while a bright sky dotted with clouds frames the scene, conveying a tranquil coastal atmosphere.
Artist & collection
Artist
Émilie Charmy (French pronunciation:; April 2, 1878 – June 7, 1974) was an artist in France's early avant-garde.
