Pierre Boncompain Bio

Pierre Boncompain was born in Provence into an educated family where an interest in all of the arts was nurtured from a young age. The pristine landscape of Boncompain's native Provence has remained largely unchanged, continuing to attract visitors from all over the world. It is this poetic aspect of Provence that provides endless inspiration for the artist. 

In Boncompain's world, the table is always set, ready for a sumptuous feast with fresh fruits and vegetables picked from one's garden or purchased in the morning market. As Georges Borgeaud has remarked in his book about Boncompain, "fruits and flowers provide an Epicurean feast for the eyes and the spirit, the distant mountains let us know that the slopes which we see in the picture are caressed by Mediterranean light". 

His figurative works depict beautiful women in languid poses or enjoying la sieste while evading the heat of the Provence afternoon. His figures do not confront the viewer, but gaze off in the distance, lost in a daydream or lost in the dream world of sleep. The sensual line that winds its way through the form of the female figure is reminiscent of the works of Matisse. 

The artist's landscape work is where he most approaches abstraction. Rich yellows or purples imply extensive fields of corn or lavender bathed in the strong light of the region. Numerous tones rendered through varying conditions of light create the feel of a mosaic. 

It is not simply Boncompain's choice of subject that sets him apart, but his bold use of color. Whether in oil or pastel, Boncompain is the quintessential colorist. As Michel Deon commented, "we do not speak in front of his pictures, our attention captured by the peace it is steeped in, this longing for Summer, these haunting blues, these ochres and these yellows of Provence, this festival of light, good taste and discretion".