French Impressionist Oil Painting of Coastal Monument under Overcast Skies

Title: French Impressionist Oil Painting of Coastal Monument under Overcast Skies By Fanch Lel (French b. 1930) Size: 16.25 x 13 inches (height x width) Signed: Yes Oil painting on board, unframed Condition: The painting is in good condition, with minor signs of aging. Provenance: All the paintings we have for sale by this artist have come from the artists estate and have had no previous owners at all. Description: This expressive work by Fanch Lel captures a coastal scene dominated by a tall, column-like monument, rising proudly against a brooding, cloud-filled sky. The monument, with its faintly detailed spire, stands as a sentinel over the quiet harbor below, its form suggesting an enduring presence amidst the elements. Small, whitewashed buildings with dark, sloping roofs line the shore, their simplicity contrasting with the monument’s imposing height and grandeur. In the foreground, small boats rest calmly in the gentle, green-tinted waters, anchored along a softly curved shoreline that guides the eye toward the monument. Lel’s choice of muted grays, blues, and greens lends a melancholic yet tranquil atmosphere, evoking the mood of a peaceful coastal village touched by history and tradition. The brushwork is loose yet intentional, particularly in the sky, where layered strokes convey a sense of movement in the clouds as they drift above the scene. The impressionistic rendering of the waves adds texture and depth, drawing the viewer into the reflective quality of the water. Lel’s composition subtly plays with perspective, placing the viewer at eye level with the harbor, as if standing on the shore and looking up at the monument. This perspective, combined with the restrained palette and masterful brushwork, creates a feeling of solitude and timelessness, as if the monument has stood watch over the village and harbor for centuries, unaffected by the passage of time.