Face in Clouds — Landré (active 20th century), 1970s, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 in; signed lower right.
A luminous 1970s surreal oil painting depicting a serene female face emerging from radiant golden clouds against a tranquil blue sky. Signed Landré, this 24 x 36 inch original oil on canvas blends classical portrait precision with poetic dream imagery—ideal for collectors of romantic surrealism, symbolic figurative art, and refined late-20th-century painting.
Artwork Description
This ethereal composition presents a softly modeled female face suspended within radiant cloud formations. The subject’s gaze is upward and contemplative, her expression serene yet searching. Warm ochres, pale apricots, and creamy highlights swirl around her features, dissolving into a tranquil blue sky. The painting balances realism and fantasy, rendering the eyes and facial structure with classical precision while allowing the surrounding clouds to remain fluid and atmospheric.
The surface and edge structure confirm the work is oil on canvas. The pigment layering, subtle blending, and soft glazing effects visible along the edges are consistent with oil technique. The paint handling suggests controlled brushwork with delicate scumbling and feathered transitions, producing a velvety, luminous effect.
Stylistically, the work aligns with poetic or romantic surrealism of the 1960s–1970s—a movement that favored dream imagery, floating forms, and psychological symbolism over stark or confrontational surrealist themes. The composition evokes themes of transcendence, introspection, and the merging of identity with nature. The signature “Landré” appears lower right.
Artist Biography
Landré (active 20th century) is an attributed painter whose work reflects a refined figurative foundation combined with a lyrical surrealist vision. While the surname “Landré” appears in earlier European art records, the stylistic character of this oil painting—romantic, dreamlike, and psychologically expressive—indicates a mid-to-late 20th-century artist working within a poetic surrealist tradition.
The artist demonstrates formal training in representational portraiture, evidenced by the careful modeling of facial planes, proportion, and light. At the same time, Landré departs from strict realism, dissolving the subject into atmosphere and symbolic space. This synthesis of classical technique and imaginative imagery places the artist within a broader mid-century lineage of figurative surrealism and visionary art.
The controlled glazing and tonal harmony seen in this work suggest technical confidence and experience with oil as a primary medium. Though comprehensive archival documentation remains limited, the painting reveals a mature artistic voice—one grounded in academic skill yet oriented toward introspective, dreamlike expression.
Landré (20th century)
Face in Clouds
1970
Oil on canvas
24 x 36 in
Signed lower right
Romantic surrealist figurative composition.
Certificate of Authentication
Artist: Landré
Title: Face in Clouds
Date: 1970
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 24 x 36 inches
Signature: Signed lower right
Condition
Oil on canvas presented unstretched. Light edge wear and handling marks consistent with age and storage. Surface appears stable with minor speckling visible under lighting; no major paint loss or structural tears observed in provided images. Professional stretching and framing recommended.
Provenance Chain
Landré (artist studio)
Mitch Morse Gallery (acquired in NYC, United States and Europe)
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
Face in Clouds — Landré (active 20th century), 1970s, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 in; signed lower right.
A luminous 1970s surreal oil painting depicting a serene female face emerging from radiant golden clouds against a tranquil blue sky. Signed Landré, this 24 x 36 inch original oil on canvas blends classical portrait precision with poetic dream imagery—ideal for collectors of romantic surrealism, symbolic figurative art, and refined late-20th-century painting.
Artwork Description
This ethereal composition presents a softly modeled female face suspended within radiant cloud formations. The subject’s gaze is upward and contemplative, her expression serene yet searching. Warm ochres, pale apricots, and creamy highlights swirl around her features, dissolving into a tranquil blue sky. The painting balances realism and fantasy, rendering the eyes and facial structure with classical precision while allowing the surrounding clouds to remain fluid and atmospheric.
The surface and edge structure confirm the work is oil on canvas. The pigment layering, subtle blending, and soft glazing effects visible along the edges are consistent with oil technique. The paint handling suggests controlled brushwork with delicate scumbling and feathered transitions, producing a velvety, luminous effect.
Stylistically, the work aligns with poetic or romantic surrealism of the 1960s–1970s—a movement that favored dream imagery, floating forms, and psychological symbolism over stark or confrontational surrealist themes. The composition evokes themes of transcendence, introspection, and the merging of identity with nature. The signature “Landré” appears lower right.
Artist Biography
Landré (active 20th century) is an attributed painter whose work reflects a refined figurative foundation combined with a lyrical surrealist vision. While the surname “Landré” appears in earlier European art records, the stylistic character of this oil painting—romantic, dreamlike, and psychologically expressive—indicates a mid-to-late 20th-century artist working within a poetic surrealist tradition.
The artist demonstrates formal training in representational portraiture, evidenced by the careful modeling of facial planes, proportion, and light. At the same time, Landré departs from strict realism, dissolving the subject into atmosphere and symbolic space. This synthesis of classical technique and imaginative imagery places the artist within a broader mid-century lineage of figurative surrealism and visionary art.
The controlled glazing and tonal harmony seen in this work suggest technical confidence and experience with oil as a primary medium. Though comprehensive archival documentation remains limited, the painting reveals a mature artistic voice—one grounded in academic skill yet oriented toward introspective, dreamlike expression.
Landré (20th century)
Face in Clouds
1970
Oil on canvas
24 x 36 in
Signed lower right
Romantic surrealist figurative composition.
Certificate of Authentication
Artist: Landré
Title: Face in Clouds
Date: 1970
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 24 x 36 inches
Signature: Signed lower right
Condition
Oil on canvas presented unstretched. Light edge wear and handling marks consistent with age and storage. Surface appears stable with minor speckling visible under lighting; no major paint loss or structural tears observed in provided images. Professional stretching and framing recommended.
Provenance Chain
Landré (artist studio)
Mitch Morse Gallery (acquired in NYC, United States and Europe)
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
