Belle-Ile-en-Mer, Evening, Cote Sauvage 1909

Maxime Maufra made this watercolor painting of Belle-Ile-en-Mer at dusk with some kind of brush and maybe a bit of pencil. It’s got that lovely end-of-day color palette, all soft purples and greens, like the world is holding its breath. Looking at the rocks in the foreground, you can see how he’s built them up with these loose, gestural marks. The paint is thin, washy, and transparent. It gives the sense that he was trying to capture a fleeting moment, not nail down every detail. I love how the black pencil outlines give the composition structure. See how they cut through the softer areas of the watercolor? There’s one particularly juicy mark near the bottom left, like a little explosion of energy. Maufra was part of that whole Post-Impressionist moment, exploring light and color in his own way. You could compare this to some of the coastal scenes that Monet did, but Maufra's got a rawer, more immediate feel to it. It’s like he’s reminding us that art is just a conversation, and we’re all invited to join in, bringing our own experiences and interpretations to the table.