Port de Bouc 1910

Augustus John painted this scene, “Port de Bouc,” using oil on canvas, with a technique that feels both immediate and considered. The materiality of this work is really where the magic happens. Look at the way John uses thick strokes of paint to build up the landscape, especially the shrubs along the hillside. It’s almost as if he's sculpting the scene as much as he’s painting it. The blues of the water and the whites of the cliffs have this beautiful, tactile quality. The individual brushstrokes remain visible, giving the whole piece a lively, energetic feel. There is one particularly telling area of yellow underneath the white cliffs, that to me, gives the scene a sense of the heat of the day. John's style reminds me a little of early Van Gogh in terms of his expressive brushwork and vivid use of color. But while Van Gogh often used these techniques to convey emotional intensity, John’s painting has a more observational feel. Ultimately, what’s important is how the work speaks to you, regardless of what the artist intended.