Donau ved Galatz 1933

Albert Marquet sketched Donau ved Galatz with ink on paper. It’s all lines, like a roadmap of the artist’s eye. You can almost feel him there, squinting, trying to capture the light on the water. I imagine Marquet standing at the edge of the shore, the air filled with the sounds of the harbor. What was he thinking as he watched the boats bobbing in the water, the shoreline meeting the sky? The black ink sings a song of touch and release. The strokes are quick and confident, but the perspective feels wonky. Is it a mistake or a deliberate choice? It reminds me of some of my own painting struggles, pushing and pulling until something unexpected emerges. It's like he's right there with us. Marquet’s loose style reminds me of other painters like Raoul Dufy. Artists are always responding to each other, even across time. And this little sketch contains a whole world of looking.