Bracher Painting Appraisal

Dunas by Carlos Bracher (1975)

This original oil painting on canvas, titled "Dunas," is a modernist landscape work created by the renowned Brazilian artist Carlos Bracher in 1975. The composition features a somber and atmospheric color palette dominated by muted greys, sage greens, and earth tones. In the foreground, a stylized, leafless tree stands at a slight angle on the right side, its branches reaching upward in a simplified, fan-like gesture. The mid-ground is defined by horizontal bands of green fields partitioned by dark outlines, leading to the eponymous rolling dunes in the background. These dunes are rendered with smooth, rhythmic curves that mimic the contours of a reclining human form, a common trope in modernist landscape art. The sky is a flat, cloudy grey, providing no direct light source and emphasizing the pensive mood. The paint application appears controlled yet expressive, with visible impasto and brushstroke textures that add depth to the flat planes of color. The artist's signature and the date '1975' are visible in the lower right corner. The work is housed in a contemporary thin gold-toned wooden lath frame within a larger green-painted outer frame. The canvas appears to be in good condition with no visible signs of cracking, flaking, or repair, showing only light surface patina consistent with its age of nearly five decades. The craftsmanship reflects Bracher’s transition toward his more signature expressionistic style, characterized by strong emotional resonance and structural simplification.