Richly executed in a deep palette of green, red and black, this striking portrait of a male youth in a yellow plaid swimsuit was painted at the end of World War II by Paul Cocagne, one of Belgium's leading figurative painters. Here the figure is painted in tones of mossy green and black and the dark trees are presented against a deep red ground, all showing the influence of Henri Matisse on Cocagne's work. The artist grew up in Liege and trained in Paris and Munich, and upon his return to Belgium joined the ‘Atelier’ group of painters, along with artists such as Marcel Delfize and Ernest Stroobants. The artist's monogram is evident in the upper lefthand corner, and the painting is signed on the reverse. Dimensions include original frame with linen lining.