Trees by a Lake, Le Parc de Carrières-St-Denis
- Artist: André Derain
- Date: 1909
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "Trees by a Lake, Le Parc de Carrières‑St‑Denis" by André Derain, painted in 1909 with oil on canvas. From the moment you look at it, the bold fields of colour leap out—an unmistakable hallmark of Fauvism. Yet Derain’s treatment of the trees is more than just bright paint; he reduces them to almost abstract, angular patterns that echo the early Cubist experiments of the time. That connection makes the piece feel like a bridge between two of the century’s most daring movements.
Derain’s own travels helped shape this work: he was at Carrières Saint‑Denis with Georges Braque, and that shared exploration is visible in the piece’s fractured, rhythmic composition. The painting caught the eye of critic‑painter Roger Fry, who acquired it and showcased it in his landmark Post‑Impressionist Exhibition of 1910‑11—an event that helped cement Fauvism’s place in art history.
See it in person
Trees by a Lake, Le Parc de Carrières-St-Denis hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
