Conquet, Voilier 1929

Paul Signac made this watercolour, Conquet, Voilier, sometime in his lifetime, layering transparent washes of colour, and using a linear mark-making approach, a process that feels so immediate and intuitive. Signac's touch here is light, the watercolor thinly applied in layers that let the paper breathe. The blues of the water, the reds and browns of the sail, and the greens of the distant shore, all feel like impressions, quickly jotted down. There's a wonderful balance between control and spontaneity. Look at the waves in the water; each stroke seems to capture the movement and light, while the quick, sketchy lines defining the boat give it form and structure. Signac was deeply inspired by the Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists. He explored the expressive potential of colour, light, and loose brushwork. Like his contemporary, Paul Cézanne, Signac was fascinated by the way a painting could be a record of perception, rather than just a reproduction of reality. So much feeling can be captured in something as simple as a coloured line.