Épreuve de l’Irréel n°4/19 (Proof of the Unreal n°4/19) is a painting by French contemporary artist Guillaume Chansarel, first painting of the Epreuve de l’Irréel series.

In this figurative landscape, a red cube with the façade of a Haussmann building on one face, floats in the sky. This type of work, playing with perspective and light, is drawn from Guillaume Chansarel style, lending a realistic effect to his figurative paintings. In this new series, the realism is turned over by the eruption of coloured cubes, as if suspended in the sky.

This work depicts a Haussmannian building's façade, a typical Parisian cityscape that frequently inspires Guillaume Chansarel. There is a worked perspective aspect and a light play in it, characteristic of the artist's style that lends realism to his figurative paintings. In this new series, the realism is disrupted by an eruption of coloured cubes, seemingly suspended in the sky.

At the end of 2019, whilst walking around the streets of soon to be locked down Paris, Guillaume Chansarel had a vision of a Lego shaped form.  It became the ideal visionary concept for 'City Man': an alternative to confined spaces, allowing one to escape.  The illusion of an ideal vision would become the 'Trial by Unreality' as soon as Parisians' daily life changed at the will of the restrictions, becoming a reference point to the unreality of the current events.

Whilst perfectly set in Guillaume Chansarel’s aesthetic world, the series ‘L'Epreuve de l'Irréel’ marks the beginning of a new creative chapter - mostly influenced by the health crisis - for the one who paints on the printed pages of old books. It testifies to a strange indeterminate length of time, which is why this series’ artworks are a limited edition.

Megacities are the artist's favorite subject. Through his paintings, Guillaume Chansarel attempts to capture the city's graphic identity, as a photographer would press the shutter button on his camera. The uniqueness of the artist's work lies in the realistic aspect of his work but also on the original use of an innovative support : pages of print from antique books onto which he draws and then paints, and consequently which tells a completely new story. 

This one-off piece is sold unframed and delivered with a certificate of authenticity.