Jean-Pierre Cassigneul creates beautiful compositions of striking elegant women similar in the tradition of the early 20th century French Nabis artists, like Bonnard and Vuillard. His work is greatly influenced by the expressionist painter, Kees van Dongen, especially his very dramatic portraits and use of intense vibrant color.
Cassigneul's captivating La Regatta is striking in its shades of blue and white. The central female figure is in profile, her "Van Dongen" like eyes gazing over her right shoulder. Her lovely red hair is tucked away in an elegant updo that beautifully complements her porcelain skin, navy summer dress, and the vast ocean of blue that lies behind her. Leaning on a white railing, she is framed by the large billowy sails of two passing sailboats and the puffy white clouds in the sky above her. Both the scale and perspective of the painting give the feeling the viewer is a part of this breezy summer day by the sea.
