Max Chailloux

About the Painting

This oil painting by French artist Max Serge Chailloux captures a rural countryside scene, likely in southwestern France, painted circa 1940. The work exemplifies Chailloux's skill in portraying everyday life with clarity, warmth, and attention to the character of place.

The composition centers on a traditional stone windmill, its aged surface rendered in rich impasto, with sweeping wooden sails reaching into a pale blue sky. Adjacent to the mill, a whitewashed farmhouse with green shutters and a red-tiled roof completes the pastoral setting. A lone figure in dark rural dress walks toward a well or wash basin, anchoring the scene with a quiet human presence.

The palette is soft and sunlit—dominated by creamy whites, warm earth tones, and touches of fresh green and floral color—while the textured brushwork enhances the tactile realism of the stonework, foliage, and ground. The painting reflects the rural architecture and agricultural traditions of southwestern France during the early 20th century, a period when traditional windmills were still part of the working landscape.

Signed in the lower right corner, this work demonstrates Chailloux's sensitivity to the beauty of rural life and his ability to translate regional character into harmonious compositions. The painting is housed in its original frame and remains in very good condition.

About the Artist

Max Serge Chailloux (1902-1971) was a French painter known for his Impressionist and Modernist works. Born in Saintes, France, in 1902, he relocated to Angoulême in 1947, where he continued his artistic pursuits until his death in 1971. Chailloux worked primarily in oil, creating landscapes, genre scenes, and portraits that reflected both his regional surroundings and his extensive travels.

Chailloux's art often reflected his travels to French colonies, particularly in Africa and Indochina. His painting Tam-tam en Guinée Française (1939) exemplifies his engagement with African themes and was sold at auction at Tajan in 2010. Another notable work, Tuong-Yan-King, le brodeur Indo-Chinois (1924), portrays an Indochinese embroiderer and showcases his interest in Asian subjects and cultural documentation.

Throughout his career, Chailloux's works were exhibited and auctioned primarily in France, indicating sustained interest in his art among French collectors. His style combined elements of Impressionism with a more direct, modernist approach to composition and color, creating works that balanced atmospheric effects with structural clarity.

The Musée d'Angoulême holds several of his works in its permanent collection, ensuring his legacy within the regional art history of southwestern France. His great-niece, Martine Pinsolle, is also a painter, suggesting a familial lineage of artistic talent that continues into the present day.

Technical Details

Artist: Max Chailloux (1902-1971)
Signed: Lower right corner
Date: c.1940
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Very good condition
Dimensions: 22 x 27 cm / 8½ x 10½ in
Frame: 26.5 x 31.5 cm / 10½ x 12½ in, very good condition
Origin: France

A charming example of French rural landscape painting from the mid-20th century.