The Harbor at Cassis 

Samuel Peploe's painting, *The Harbor at Cassis*, is defined by a vibrant, structured composition, built from bold brushstrokes and a striking interplay of blues, oranges, and yellows. The texture of the paint itself becomes a vital part of the visual experience, lending the scene a palpable, almost tactile quality. Peploe masterfully uses color to define form and space, disrupting traditional notions of representation. The juxtaposition of warm and cool tones creates a dynamic tension, pushing and pulling the viewer's eye across the canvas. The brushstrokes operate almost as signifiers, creating a semiotic system where each mark contributes to the overall structure and rhythm of the painting. The simplification of shapes and forms, combined with the expressive use of color, engages with the modernist pursuit of capturing the essence of a subject, destabilizing established artistic conventions. The materiality of the paint and the abstract rendering of the scene challenge our perception, inviting a re-interpretation of space and representation.