Jean Lafon French, 1886-1973

Description

L’Écho des Cloches en Automne presents a view across a canal or mill race towards a cluster of autumnal trees, their foliage rendered in dense touches of ochre, rust and olive. Beyond them rises a tall Gothic church tower, its reddish stone partially obscured by foliage and atmospheric haze. The architecture and waterways point to Strasbourg, where Lafon repeatedly painted views combining canals, churches and seasonal foliage. Executed in the mid-twentieth century, L’Écho des Cloches en Automne reflects Lafon’s engagement with Alsatian towns, using autumn colour and softened outlines to integrate built form and landscape.