Seated Nude in a Expressive Green Landscape French Modernist Oil Painting

Title: Seated Nude in a Expressive Green Landscape French Modernist Oil Painting
Guy Nicod (French 1923 – 2021)
Oil on artist paper, unframed
Size: 18.5 x 15.75 inches (height x width)
Provenance: Artists estate, France
Condition: good overall; some light edge wear, handling creases, and minor paint texture irregularities consistent with age; colour remains strong and surface stable

Description:
This vibrant oil painting by French modernist artist Guy Nicod presents a seated nude woman enveloped in lush, expressive colour. Painted with bold impasto strokes, the figure glows in radiant yellow and ochre tones against a dense, textured backdrop of green foliage and deep blue shadows. The composition evokes both intimacy and vitality, merging the human form with the natural world through energetic brushwork and luminous contrast.
Executed on artist paper, the work demonstrates Nicod’s mastery of expressive figuration—a hallmark of mid-20th-century French modernism. The simplified contours and tactile paint surface capture the warmth of the human body while suggesting a deeper emotional resonance. The painting’s jungle-like setting, rich in organic movement, reflects the influence of post-war European expressionism and artists such as André Derain and Nicolas de Staël, whose use of colour and texture redefined modern figurative art.
Perfect for collectors seeking modern nude paintings or colourful abstracted figures, this work brings together Nicod’s characteristic balance of structure and spontaneity. Its dynamic brushwork and vivid palette make it a powerful statement piece for contemporary interiors, adding warmth, depth, and painterly sophistication to any setting.
From the artist’s estate in France, this oil on paper stands as a testament to Nicod’s sensitivity to both colour and form. His ability to blend modern abstraction with emotional immediacy ensures this piece remains timeless, resonating with collectors drawn to expressive mid-century art and the enduring beauty of the human figure.