The Summer Gardens of Villandry Castle (2021) Original Oil Painting by Gav Banns

This impressionist oil painting captures a summer view through the gardens of Château de Villandry in the Loire Valley, with the formal planting opening towards the trees and terraces beyond. Loose brushwork and shifting areas of light and colour give the scene the feeling of a moment observed rather than a detailed study of the gardens.

My wife's grandmother turned 101 (her older sister was 103), and lived for some time in this part of France - we had gone to pay her a visit and spend a little time at some of the local castles, including Villandry which I have visited previously.

Villandry was built as a Renaissance château in the 16th century, and its gardens have undergone several transformations. In the 19th century they were turned into an English-style landscape park, before Joachim Carvallo began restoring the Renaissance gardens after purchasing the château in 1906. The restoration recreated the distinctive terraces, ornamental gardens and vegetable gardens that can be seen today.

Materials used:

Oil paints (Rembrandt, Old Holland, Winsor & Newton, Gamblin, lefranc & bourgeois)

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 40 x 30 x 0.3cm (unframed) / 40 x 30cm (actual image size)
• Signed on the front
• Style: Impressionistic
• Subject: Flowers and plants