Port-Bara (Near the Ile de Quiberon) 1914

Maxime Maufra made this seascape of Port-Bara, near the Ile de Quiberon, with oil on canvas. Look at the way Maufra fearlessly lets his brushstrokes be seen; each one seems to capture a fleeting moment of light on the water. The textures are so alive, aren’t they? The thick, almost sculptural paint in the waves contrasts with the thinner washes in the sky. Notice that spot of bright, almost angry red on the rocks where the water crashes, it is like a little explosion of energy, a reminder of the raw power of nature. You can almost feel the spray on your face. Maufra, like Monet, was fascinated by the changing effects of light and atmosphere, but I think there's also something a little bit Cézanne in his approach to form, a sense of solidity and structure beneath the surface of the waves. These artists are all in conversation with each other. It makes you think about how art is all about seeing, feeling, and then trying to capture that on canvas.