<Ceux du maquis>

In contrast to his previous work, Martial Raysse turned to drawing from nature, landscapes, and the works of the old masters starting in 1973. Ceux du maquis [Those of the Maquis] is executed in tempera, a technique that preceded oil painting in the West in the 15th century. In this landscape, surrounded by the untouched white of the canvas, tiny figures are placed within a vast rural expanse. A discreet tribute to the French Resistance against the German occupier,this painting turns the landscape into a place of resurgence for the artist’s childhood memories.