Soutine learned from Cézanne’s works the importance of the brushstroke in building up compositions. His own landscapes, however, showing motifs in close-up views, seem to dissolve the notion of spatial distance, creating effects that seem expressionist. The tight framing and compression of the motifs create a sense of straining against boundaries that is especially evident in the pale tower. This feeling is augmented by the choice of intense, saturated colors for the houses and trees.