Sometimes nicknamed the “Fauve in Grey” for his Parisian views, Marquet could also be called the “Fauve in Blue” so passionate was he about the realm of water and the color blue.

This maritime landscape is a true invitation to travel along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Spare yet spontaneous, Marquet gives free rein to a harmonious palette of blues across these distant planes, suggesting the atmosphere of his stopover.

Algiers was one of Marquet’s favorite subjects. Since his first trip there in 1920, when he met his wife Marcelle, he returned every year to stay and work tirelessly on views of the port and the bay. For the layering of color, he favored viewpoints from the heights of the city that embrace the Bay of Algiers.

With these vivid, luminous tones, lightness and freshness emanate from this watercolor. The eye loses itself in the blue of the Mediterranean, while Albert Marquet shares with us his endless passion for water and for blue.