MAURICE MARTIN | Bateaux de Pêche Amarrés au Quai
Oil on Canvas
46 x 55 cms / 18 x 21¾ inches
Bateaux de Pêche Amarrés au Quai by Maurice Martin is compelling for its remarkable energy and technical bravura. Unlike many placid marine views, Martin captures the raw vitality of a working harbour. The painting’s tightly cropped composition forces the viewer into close proximity with the fishing boats, their hulls casting heavy reflections that ripple dynamically across the water. The thick, expressive brushwork and layered impasto give the surface an almost sculptural quality, enhancing the tactile experience of the scene.
A master of bold colours and strong form, Maurice Martin was a key practitioner in the Moret School of painting. This talented group of artists were indebted to the Impressionist artists, most notably Alfred Sisley, who painted at Moret-sur-Loing in the 1890s. Martin was frequently seen painting en plein-air, believing this to be the only way to capture the immediacy of the scenery. Martin's technique demanded a free and spontaneous style of painting in order to catch the rapid changes in outdoor light. He attempted to extract the colours and shapes as well as the fragrances of nature, putting the total ambiance and experience directly onto the canvas. The highlights of Martin's career were the Gold Medal he was awarded at the 1946 Paris Salon, and becoming Vice President of the Society of French Landscape Painters.
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