Harbor of Menton 1905

Albert Marquet painted this view of the Harbor of Menton with a loaded brush, thick with color. He wasn't trying to trick you into thinking it was real; he wanted you to feel the hand in it. Look at how the green of the water and the yellow of the buildings almost vibrate against each other, a kind of visual buzz. Up close, you can see how the paint sits on the surface, each stroke a record of his movement. There's a liveliness there, a sense of the artist grappling with the scene, not just copying it. It's like he's saying, "Here, I made this world with paint." The way he flattens the space reminds me a little of Matisse, who he worked alongside in Gustave Moreau's studio, but Matisse is all about that hot Fauvist sun, whereas Marquet is cooler, more interested in atmosphere. It's like they're having a conversation about light and color, each with their own accent. It’s never the last word, but a point in an ongoing discussion.