La Petite Place d'Arras by Alfred Bastien. A watercolor painting depicting the skeletal remains and rubble of buildings in a French town square under a bright blue sky.

La Petite Place d'Arras

Alfred Bastien

1918 · Watercolor Paint, Cardboard

A poignant 1918 watercolor by Alfred Bastien capturing the sun-drenched ruins of a town square in Arras.

$243

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From $129

4 frame sizes

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Where it works

A light work with a grounded presence with a neutral color register — keeps the wall feeling open.

Often works in
Study · Office · Library
Placement
Reads easily over horizontal furniture or open wall spans
Walls
Best on mid-tone or darker walls
Color notes
Soft gray

About the piece

Created in 1918, this watercolor by Alfred Bastien depicts the wreckage of 'La Petite Place' in Arras. Bastien uses a light, airy palette to contrast the stark reality of war-torn architecture with a serene, clouded sky. The work serves as both a historical document of the Great War and a masterful study of light reflecting off crumbling stone.

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