Port Corneille at Rouen 1925

Gustave Loiseau laid down countless marks to make this painting of Port Corneille at Rouen. Look at the surface, at all those commas of colour, how they seem to flicker and shimmer in the light! I can imagine Loiseau standing there, in the midst of the bustling city, trying to capture the feeling of the place. I bet he was thinking about the Impressionists, how they used colour and light to create a sense of movement and atmosphere. But he's also doing his own thing here, with a slightly different sensibility. There's something about the way he applies the paint, in these short, staccato strokes, that feels very modern. It's like he's trying to capture the energy of the city, the way it's always changing and moving. It’s like he is in conversation with other artists, trading ideas, and pushing the boundaries of what painting can do. And that conversation is still going on today, inspiring new generations of artists to explore the possibilities of this amazing medium.