The Stagecoach Road in the Country with a Cart - Paul Sérusier

A 1918 oil painting by Paul Sérusier, featuring a winding rural road through a hilly, abstractly coloured countryside.

Paul Sérusier, a central figure in the Nabis group, painted this work in 1918. The composition depicts a winding rural road cutting through a hilly terrain, with a small cart visible in the distance. The artist employs a flattened perspective and non-naturalistic colour choices, which are characteristic of his later period. The steep, dark slopes of the hills contrast with the pale, curving path, creating a sense of rhythmic movement across the canvas.

Sérusier was deeply influenced by the theories of Paul Gauguin, particularly the idea that a painting should be a subjective interpretation of nature rather than a direct transcription. In this work, the forms are simplified into distinct planes of colour. The sky is rendered in a uniform, bright blue, while the vegetation and earth are composed of deep purples, greens, and yellows. This approach prioritises the decorative quality of the surface over traditional atmospheric perspective.

By 1918, Sérusier had moved away from the more experimental phases of his youth, focusing instead on a rigorous, almost geometric structure in his compositions. He often sought to reconcile his interest in spiritual symbolism with the formal requirements of painting. The presence of the utility poles and the cart provides a human element to the otherwise stark, rhythmic arrangement of the hills. The work demonstrates his interest in the synthesis of colour and form, a pursuit that occupied him throughout his career. The application of paint is deliberate, with visible brushwork that maintains the integrity of the two-dimensional surface. This piece offers a clear example of the artist's mature style, where the observation of the Breton countryside is filtered through a lens of abstraction and formal order.