<Franchissement de campagne>

From the 1950s onwards, Messagier turned towards abstraction, as seen in Franchissement de campagne [Crossing the Countryside], whose title evokes a rural landscape. This work belongs to a series of the same name, in which Messagier drew inspiration from the paths, irrigation networks, and hedges that shape the French countryside. The resulting compositions feature linear forms in muted greens, ochres, and blues. In this large-format piece, the artist adopts a cartographic perspective, evident in the frontal representation devoid of perspectival effects.