Breathing France
Paintings on this theme are unique as they represent Sen’s sincerest acknowledgment of the opportunities, love and respect that France has offered him.
The consistent guideline we find here is that each stroke spurs beauty and optimism; we never find a clashing tone or social denunciation. Perhaps unconsciously, his landscapes are linked to the School of Barbizon where awareness for the protection of natural beauty was first developed among artists and students.
In this section we find the marvellous view of a romantic little street in Paris or in Avignon or even in the medieval village of Vèzelay in Bourgogne. We also constantly perceive the strong influence that two pillars of the history of art have had on Sen, Claude Monet and Jean Francois Millet.
Sen’s absorption of French literature, poetry and philosophy comes alive in his portraiture of four French intellectuals that have inspired him: Marcel Proust, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud and Charles Baudelaire.
“Mon ivresse de la France” is a true hymn of love through colours and emotions, an act of Sen’s deepest love for a country that means so much to him.
Alberto Moioli, Member AICA. Editorial Director, Enciclopediad’ArteItaliana, Art Advisor Art Affinity