Seascape Near Marseille (Fantastic Village) 1882

Adolphe Monticelli created this oil painting, Seascape Near Marseille (Fantastic Village), with a heavy impasto technique, resulting in a richly textured surface. The composition is divided into three horizontal bands: the sky, the village with mountains, and the sea. Monticelli uses thick brushstrokes to build up the forms, blurring the lines between objects and creating an almost dreamlike quality. The buildings and landscape are not clearly delineated, suggesting an interest in capturing the essence of a scene rather than a precise representation. This approach aligns with Symbolist ideals, where the focus shifts from mimetic accuracy to evoking subjective emotions. By prioritizing texture and colour over form, Monticelli destabilizes traditional landscape painting conventions. The density of the paint application gives the impression of a world in constant flux, where the materiality of the medium becomes as important as the subject matter. The painting invites viewers to engage with its tactile surface and contemplate the interplay between representation and abstraction.