Village at the Water's Edge

Roger de La Fresnaye

National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts several rectangles in different colors layered over one another, giving the impression of an abstract landscape. The top of the painting is made with short brushstrokes in white, pink, and light blue, suggesting a cloudy sky. Closer to us, there are abstract, block-like shapes in shades of light brown, pale yellow, lilac, dark green, and eggplant-purple. Between some of these blocks, the orange-brown material under the paint shows through, dividing the different sections. To the right of center, one tall, light green rectangle rises above the rest, with a pointed white triangle on top of it. To the far right are some swirling green lines, giving the impression of distant treetops or hills. The brushstrokes in the painting are broad and textured.