Breton reveries
By 1901, the year inscribed on this sheet, Armand Seguin had permanently relocated from Paris to Brittany, the region on the Northwest coast of France that attracted a steady stream of avant-garde artists in the late nineteenth century. Although he settled inland, this vibrant watercolor attests to an early autumn visit to the coastal town of Morgat, where he executed the drawing in a hotel guestbook as a gift for the innkeeper Paul Pia (1857-1920). In this innovative composition, the outstretched arms of a Breton woman morph into a semi-circular aperture framing a seascape. The saturated yellow sky and sea dotted with red boats suggest a sunrise or sunset scene, while the aqueous, ethereal black frame, unusual format, and inscription evoking memory contribute to the Symbolist undertones of this work.
Artwork Details
- Title: Breton reveries
- Artist: Armand Séguin (French, Paris 1869–1903 Finistère, Brittany)
- Date: 1901
- Medium: Watercolor and gouache over graphite
- Dimensions: Sheet: 11 in. × 9 1/16 in. (28 × 23 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Charles and Jessie Price Gift, 2025
- Object Number: 2025.709
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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Armand Séguin (French, Paris 1869–1903 Finistère, Brittany)
ca. 1894
Armand Séguin (French, Paris 1869–1903 Finistère, Brittany)
1894
Armand Séguin (French, Paris 1869–1903 Finistère, Brittany)
1893
Paul Cézanne (French, Aix-en-Provence 1839–1906 Aix-en-Provence)
1900–1906
Nils Kreuger (Swedish, Kalmar 1858–1930 Stockholm)
1907
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