Sienne dorée
(Golden Siena)

1956-1962, oil painting on canvas, 81 x 65 cm
Private collection, Brussels
N° inv. 752

After a one-month stay in Rome and a short break in Anzio (along the Tyrrhenian Sea), the artist continued his journey across Italy which he undertook in November and December 1953. On his way to Florence, he visited Siena. The painter was inspired by the Piazza del Campo and the surrounding streets. He produced three watercolours characterized by angular shapes and which later gave rise to three oil paintings, including its flamboyant Sienne dorée. The painting is a perfect example of the new palette inspired by his trip to Italy. Indeed, Bertrand left aside the sober and almost monochrome white and grey palette which had characterized most of his creations in the 1950s.