The Fortress in Collioure 1926

Marius Hammann created The Fortress in Collioure with oil paint on canvas; what a cool, moody piece. The way Hammann's built up this surface, it's all about the process. I can practically feel the grit of the pigment. Up close, you can see how the paint's been applied, thick in some spots, almost scrubbed into the canvas in others. Look at that area around the base of the fortress, see how the light catches the uneven texture? The restricted palette, almost monochromatic, really amps up the feeling of weightiness and solemnity. That solitary figure down in the corner is like a little anchor, grounding the whole composition. Hammann is playing with something Cezanne was onto: these layers of greys are as much about structure as they are about light. It reminds me of Corot's landscapes, but with a bit more existential oomph. With work like this, the ambiguity's the point.