Embankments of the Seine in Paris 1907

Albert Marquet made this painting of the Embankments of the Seine in Paris with oils, probably en plein air. Just look at the way the green paint sits on the canvas, thick and luscious, like a field of, well, green! I imagine Marquet standing there, squinting in the Parisian light, trying to capture the feeling of the water with these small stabs of the brush. You know, painting is kind of like having a conversation, a back and forth between what you see and what you feel. The surface is built up with these dashes of colour— greens, yellows, browns—that together give you the impression of a sunny day by the river. I'm also noticing those earthy marks floating in the river. Marquet was part of the Fauvist movement, and though he’s a bit of an unsung hero, he reminds me that being an artist is about being in dialogue with other artists, riffing off their ideas, and making something new. It's an ongoing conversation.