Quayside in Le Havre 1905

Maxime Maufra made this quick little painting of the Quayside in Le Havre in 1905, and, like looking out the window on a gray day, it's all tans and browns and grays, and soft brushstrokes laid down in the moment. I can almost see Maufra standing there, sketching rapidly, trying to catch the feel of the place— the masts and rigging of the ships rising up into the sky, the docks, and the figures milling about. He’s clearly trying to get something down fast, with a sense of immediacy. It's like he's saying, “Here, look at this! Isn't it interesting, isn't it alive?" There’s this little puff of smoke at the top that seems to be trying to escape. It's a very human gesture, like a sigh. The way the paint is applied gives the scene a sense of movement and energy. It's not about precise details, but more about capturing the overall impression of the bustling quayside. I’d put it alongside the work of other painters, like Eugene Boudin, who were also drawn to the energy of harbors and the sea. It's so nice to see artists chatting with one another across time!