Post‑Impressionist and close to divisionism and pointillism, Henri Martin developed in the 1910s a pictorial language made of short, juxtaposed strokes that modulate light and color. His work blends poetic sensitivity with rigorous construction.

At first glance, the composition is organized around the clocher des Accoules, which rises as a vertical landmark above the boats and façades. The sea is not treated as a uniform mass but as a vibratory field: thousands of small colored touches create a shimmer that makes the surface appear moving and sunlit.

The boats and masts provide a rhythmic punctuation in the foreground. In the background, façades bathed in soft light answer the marine tones and warm the whole.

In this oil, Martin does not offer a scientific pointillism. He chooses to adapt chromatic division to a freer sensibility, aiming to create a dreamlike, enchanting atmosphere.