Harbor of Menton 1905

Albert Marquet’s ‘Harbor of Menton’ is a luscious landscape painting, where blue and green hues dominate. Imagine Marquet, squinting in the Mediterranean sun, trying to capture the shimmering light on the water, those boats bobbing gently in the harbor. The paint is applied in these simple, direct strokes, giving the impression of spontaneity, of quickly capturing a fleeting moment. I love how the yellow and ochre highlights on the buildings contrast with the cool blue water. It’s like he’s playing with color temperature, creating depth and atmosphere. I can feel his struggle, but also his joy in trying to render the scene, the challenge of translating three dimensions onto a flat surface. Marquet, like so many painters, was part of this ongoing conversation through paint, building on the experiments of the Impressionists.