André Cottavoz (1922-2012) was a French painter who remained resolutely figurative during an era when abstract art dominated the art world. Born in Saint-Marcellin and encouraged by his mother from age fourteen, Cottavoz developed a deeply personal approach to painting that prioritized emotion over academic convention. “Nu Rose” exemplifies his mature style with its thickly applied oil paint and sensuous treatment of the female form. The painting captures an intimate moment of a reclining nude rendered in creamy beiges and pinks against a warm coral-red background, demonstrating the artist’s masterful use of impasto technique and his ability to convey both sensuality and tenderness through bold, expressive brushwork.

After settling in Vallauris on the French Riviera in the early 1960s, Cottavoz found his artistic voice away from the competitive Parisian art scene, developing works that celebrated everyday beauty—nudes, landscapes, still lifes, and intimate domestic scenes. His nudes, like “Nu Rose,” reflect the influence of Bonnard while maintaining a distinctly personal vocabulary characterized by loose, painterly surfaces and a luminous palette. The thick application of paint creates an almost sculptural quality, with the figure emerging from the canvas through accumulated layers of color. This approach to the nude—unabashedly figurative, emotionally direct, and technically bold—embodied Cottavoz’s lifelong commitment to painting what moved him, regardless of prevailing artistic fashions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​