Clouds over cypress, 2025

Natalya Mougenot   Best sellers

This contemporary abstract expressionist fauvist landscape depicting Provence, titled "Clouds over cypress", in the south of France, was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot as part of her ongoing series dedicated to nature—and above all to Provence, a place where she continually finds her inspiration.

For the artist, Provence is more than a landscape—it is a feeling, a memory of summer and blazing sunlight, of golden yellows shimmering in the heat. “This region always holds a special place in my heart," she confides, “for me it is inseparable from warmth, radiance, and the painters I so deeply admire—Matisse, Van Gogh, Cézanne—who once walked these same hills and transformed them into color."

Her canvas reflects this legacy while speaking with her own voice. Swirling, animated brushstrokes sweep across the surface, charged with reds, yellows, and blues. “These vivid colors are my instruments to express the mood of the painting," she explains, “while my brushstrokes embody its very character." In this piece, the blues bear a particular resonance—an homage to the bold palette of Fauvism, and in particular to Henri Matisse, whose fearless use of color she reinterprets in her own language.

At the heart of her process lies a desire to transmit not just an image, but a sensation. “I want this painting to carry the beauty and the energy of Provence," she shares, “to awaken an emotional response through color and form." Thus, her landscapes are not academic studies of nature, but poetic visions—simultaneously familiar and fantastical, rooted in place yet lifted into a realm of emotion and imagination.

This vibrant artwork radiates with that duality: two towering trees anchor the composition, while the sky dances in bold blue-green sweeps and the ground shimmers like a mosaic of red, yellow, and indigo. Expressionist energy and fauvist color converge here to suggest not a literal scene, but the living spirit of Provence—wild, radiant, and eternal.

Thus painting is executed with acrylic paints on a heavyweight professional acid free paper which has been vanished fir protection. 

The artwork (42 x 29.7 cm /  16.5 x 11.7 inches)  is sold unframed, allowing you to choose a frame that best suits your space and personal style. 

For inspiration, interior photos with framing suggestions are available.

Your painting will be carefully packaged and shipped directly from France, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, ensuring the integrity and provenance of your unique piece.

About the Artist:

Natalya Mougenot, born in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, in 1981, has lived in Lyon, France, since 2003. Raised in a multicultural environment during the Soviet era, her diverse background deeply influences her artistic identity. What began as a therapeutic practice has grown into a rich exploration of themes such as modern femininity, resilience, and personal empowerment. Her emotionally resonant works—blending abstraction, nature, and floral elements—have found homes in private collections across the globe.