Réville 1931

Paul Signac painted these boats with watercolor and graphite on squared paper. It’s so casual, so immediate. I can almost see Signac in front of the water, quickly capturing the scene before him. It’s like he’s thinking through the painting, trying things out and not worrying about mistakes. He uses a limited palette of blues, greens, and browns, with touches of red on the sails that catch the eye. I love how the graphite lines define the boats, giving them shape and structure, while the watercolor washes create a sense of movement, like the water is actually flowing. This reminds me a little bit of the watercolors of someone like Emil Nolde. Both share this interest in landscape and color but where Nolde can feel weighed down by its own intensity, Signac feels light, airy, free. This piece feels like a sketchbook study, a moment of pure observation, a painter conversing and experimenting with the world around him. It’s like he’s saying, "Here’s what I see, what do you think?"