After a three‑week stay in Amsterdam in February 1938, on the occasion of an exhibition devoted to him in the Dutch capital, Marquet continued his journey and travelled on to Sweden. He arrived in Stockholm at the beginning of March, where he would spend two months and paint.

Marquet was as delighted by the warm welcome he received from the inhabitants as by the presence of water surrounding the city on all sides. From his hotel, he painted this view of the quay, located upstream from the Djurgårdsbron bridge/ 

Strandvägen (literally “Shore Road” in English) is Stockholm’s elegant and emblematic waterfront promenade, completed in 1897 for the World’s Fair.

Faithful to his approach, he favours a rigorous composition built on the clarity of lines and the balance of masses, rather than on anecdote or picturesque effect. The quay, the aligned façades and the boats are rendered with an economy of means that reflects the maturity of
his style.

The Nordic light, diffuse and cool, plays a decisive role here. The “clear sky” mentioned in the title is not merely an atmospheric detail: it structures the space, unifies the scene, and imparts to the whole a tone of calm and restraint.

Far from any emphasis, Stockholm, Strandvägen ciel clair exemplifies one of the most enduring aspects of Marquet’s art: the transformation of the urban scene into a harmonious space of silent contemplation.