Vintage French Oil Painting of Gnarled Tree by Marc Delamorinière

Most landscape painters step back from their subject. Delamorinière stepped close. Close enough that the trunk fills the canvas from edge to edge, twisted and massive, its dark form cut against a background of deep amber that reads less like natural light and more like something the painter decided the scene required. Green foliage pushes in at the edges. The composition gives the tree the weight of a monument. Two additional works by Delamorinière are also available in the shop. About the Artist A listed 20th-century French painter known for landscapes, village views, and architectural scenes, Marc Raymond Delamorinière (1904–1979) had an eye for intimate places rather than grand monuments: the close-up bridge, the quiet village corner, the scene that feels personal rather than composed for an audience. Before he painted any of them, he was a Free French paratrooper. He joined the Forces Françaises Libres in Tunisia in June 1943, trained at RAF Ringway in England (parachutist certificate number 3018, January 1944), and served with the elite French 3rd SAS regiment. He participated in Operation Moses, an SAS mission behind enemy lines in occupied France in the autumn of 1944. He returned from the war with the Croix de Guerre 39/45 and the Médaille commémorative des services volontaires dans la France Libre. A man who survived occupied France and enemy territory, and then spent the rest of his life painting its light. Why We Love It The amber. It has no business being that color and it's completely right. The dark outer frame with its gold liner echoes exactly what's happening inside: deep shadow, then a sudden warmth. The tree itself has the presence that usually requires a figure. Here, the tree is the figure. A painting that makes you stop and look again, then look again after that. Key Features: Origin: France Medium: Oil on cardboard Period: Mid-20th century Signature: Signed by the artist at lower right Dimensions: 16 5/8" x 13 1/8" Condition: Excellent condition. Please see photos for details. The piece will be shipped from Los Angeles