French Spring Path with Shed Vineyard and Bare Tree Pastel Landscape Drawing

Title: French Spring Path with Shed Vineyard and Bare Tree Pastel Landscape Drawing
Guy Nicod (French 1923 – 2021)
Oil pastel on artist paper
Size: 19.75 x 23.5 inches (height x width)
Provenance: Artists estate, France
Condition: Good – strong colour and surface integrity, minor edge wear consistent with age

Description:
This expressive French landscape drawing by modernist artist Guy Nicod (1923–2021) captures a quiet corner of rural life, filled with atmosphere and early spring energy. At the centre stands a bare-branched tree, its limbs twisted against a soft green sky. A winding ochre path cuts through the hills, leading past a weathered shed toward yellow fields and distant slopes.
In the lower right, a small vineyard emerges, its posts and early shoots lining a cultivated plot of earth. The left side is anchored by the vertical form of a rustic wooden outbuilding, rendered in a dark mix of charcoal and sea green. Throughout the scene, Nicod uses confident, directional pastel strokes to create texture, movement, and seasonal nuance — from the subtle purples in the shadows to the golden sunlit hilltops beyond.
This drawing reflects Nicod’s fascination with the patterns of agricultural life and his ability to abstract familiar elements into rhythmic, harmonious compositions. There is a sense of stillness here — the moment before trees bloom, before the vines grow thick — that speaks to time and quiet renewal. The curved pathway, central tree, and softly layered hills all lead the viewer into a meditative, balanced space.
Perfect for collectors who appreciate modernist rural scenes, vineyard imagery, or early spring landscapes with architectural elements, this piece is both intimate and sculptural in feel.