Maurice Perrenoud, L'homme de'calque l'homme, Oil on Board Painting, 1960s

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Attributed to Swiss painter and sculptor Maurice Perrenoud, L’homme décalque l’homme is a work from the 1960s that unfolds as … Read more Attributed to Swiss painter and sculptor Maurice Perrenoud, L’homme décalque l’homme is a work from the 1960s that unfolds as a meditation on presence and trace, where form appears less as a fixed image than an echo of itself.

Rendered in oil on board, layered passages of charcoal, umber, and near-black create a weighted ground from which fragments of a figure emerge and recede. Thin, paleincisions interrupt the darker mass, while brushed and layered paint reveals both control and spontaneity, giving the surface a quiet sense of depth.

Encased in a black walnut frame, the composition balances warmth with restraint. Rather than presenting a singular reading, it invites prolonged observation, as forms appear, dissolve, and return. A painting that rewards contemplation, chosen not simply to occupy a wall, but to shape the atmosphere around it.

Placed within a space, L’homme décalque l’homme holds a contemplative presence. It does not assert itself through scale or contrast, but through nuance, drawing the viewer into a slower engagement with surface, gesture, and the lingering imprint of form.

Maurice Perrenoud (1914–2007) was a Swiss painter and sculptor whose career was shaped by a lifelong exploration of how little an artist could say while still capturing the essence of the natural world. Working across painting and sculpture, he spent decades distilling landscapes, stones, seeds, and organic forms into their most elemental shapes. Rather than imitate nature, Perrenoud sought to reveal its underlying structure, reducing complexity into quiet, balanced compositions that feel both timeless and distinctly modern.

Whether carving stone, casting bronze, or creating abstract paintings, Perrenoud approached every medium as part of the same artistic dialogue. His sculptures possess the enduring presence of ancient artifacts, while their flowing silhouettes evoke growth, movement, and transformation. His paintings echo these ideas through rhythmic line, textured surfaces, and restrained color, reflecting an artist devoted to the emotional power of form over representation. Choosing a path largely outside the spotlight, Perrenoud developed a remarkably consistent body of work that continues to resonate with collectors of twentieth-century European modernism, demonstrating that the simplest forms can often express the deepest sense of humanity.

Condition: Great vintage condition overall. This piece has been skillfully reframed by our team of restorationists, enhancing and complementing the painting. The name of the piece is present on the reverse. See less