Groix, Le Nettoyage Des Voiles 1923

Paul Signac made this watercolour, Groix, Le Nettoyage Des Voiles, sometime around 1930, and it’s like a symphony of scribbles. The colours are playful, almost Fauvist, and everything feels immediate, capturing a fleeting moment. Look at how Signac uses the watercolour – it’s so fluid and thin, almost like he's sketching with colour. The water in the foreground is a flurry of blues, greens, and pinks, lines darting this way and that. There’s a wonderful tension between the looseness of the application and the precision of the lines that define the boats and buildings. It's not about capturing reality, but more about capturing the feeling of being there. Signac reminds me of Matisse, in that he’s similarly obsessed with capturing the light and atmosphere of the Mediterranean, though Signac’s touch is more gestural. Ultimately, this piece is an invitation to see the world not as it is, but as it feels – a world of vibrant colours, shifting light, and endless possibilities.