A striking Nabis-style composition by Georges Lacombe, featuring women gathering chestnuts in a forest rendered with bold, flat colours and rhythmic lines.

Georges Lacombe, a member of the Nabis group, produced this work during a period of intense experimentation with form and colour. The Nabis sought to move away from naturalistic representation, favouring instead a decorative approach that prioritised flat planes of colour and rhythmic outlines. In this composition, the scene is dominated by a saturated, autumnal palette of deep reds and oranges, which creates a sense of enclosure within the forest setting.

The figures of the women are rendered with a deliberate simplicity, their forms echoing the verticality of the surrounding tree trunks. Lacombe employs a distinct linear quality, using dark contours to separate the figures from the ground. This technique flattens the pictorial space, drawing the viewer's attention to the decorative arrangement of the scene rather than its depth. The repetitive nature of the fallen leaves and the rhythmic placement of the trees suggest a structured, almost patterned environment.

Lacombe was known for his interest in wood carving, and this influence is visible in the way he treats the painted surface. The textures appear carved rather than brushed, with a focus on the essential shapes of the subjects. The figures, engaged in the quiet, rhythmic task of gathering chestnuts, are integrated into the forest floor, becoming part of the overall decorative scheme. This work reflects the Nabis interest in synthesising observation with personal expression, resulting in an image that feels both grounded in rural life and removed from reality through its stylised execution. The absence of traditional perspective and the emphasis on bold, flat colour fields are characteristic of the group's departure from academic painting standards of the late nineteenth century.