The Port of Sauzon 1905

Maxime Maufra made this painting of The Port of Sauzon in France using oil paint on canvas. The way he's dabbed and stroked the paint on makes me think about artmaking as a layering process, like building up sediment over time. Up close, you can see how thick and textured the paint is, especially in the foreground. It's almost like he's sculpting the scene with the paint itself. Then, if you look at the water, you see how he used these short, choppy strokes to capture the movement and shimmer of the light. I really like how the buildings are softened by the light and how the artist has left room for suggestion, rather than spelling everything out. It feels so much more alive than photorealism! I can see the influence of Impressionism in his broken brushwork and emphasis on capturing fleeting moments, but there's also something about his groundedness that reminds me of someone like Courbet. Ultimately, the conversation of painting is one where no one is really alone.