La Rochelle 1930

Paul Signac made this watercolor, La Rochelle, sometime during his lifetime with watercolor and graphite on paper. You can almost see him there, dabbing at the paper, mixing in these soft, cool pinks, blues, and greens, to build the scene. It's all about that fleeting moment, capturing light and form, right? Check out how he layers these colors, making the water and sky almost like a shimmering dream. The towers have this solidity, but with that graphite line dancing around, it feels so lively. It reminds me of a deconstructed Seurat, like he's letting the bones of pointillism show through. Signac’s fascination with light and color puts me in mind of Turner; those romantic, almost abstract seascapes. But where Turner is all about drama, Signac has a gentler, more modern feel. Both are chasing after something ineffable. It’s the spirit of inquiry, the endless conversation between artists, and the beautiful messiness of trying to capture the world in paint.