Albert Marquet

Galerie Druet, Paris
Acquired by the present owner in 1996

Paris, Galerie de la Présidence, Albert Marquet, 1985, no. 4 

The canvas is not lined. Close inspection reveals some networks of stable, hairline craquelure notably in the clouds and the sea. Under UV light, one 1cm diagonal line of retouching appears to fluoresce just above the black cable in the upper right corner. Otherwise this work is in very good overall condition.
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"I’ve settled in at the Hôtel de Paris, quai de Paris in Rouen. It’s really very interesting and i’m planning on working a lot."
Albert Marquet, quoted in Marquet, (exhibition catalogue), Musée de Lodève, 1998, p. 35

In 1912, Albert Marquet was frequently in Rouen. Fascinated by the city, he invited a few of his friends to come and join him, including Matisse who came for a few days in July. Accustomed to the landscapes that the riverside of the Seine had to offer, the artist particularly appreciated Rouen’s winter climate which allowed him to give his paintings magnificent atmospheric impressions. In the present painting, the reflection of the white clouds on the peaceful water creates a subtle luminosity. Marquet’s delicate range of colours, privileging harmonious and soft tones, perfectly depicts the many nuances of the Normandy light. 

An excellent painter of urban landscapes, and particularly cities and harbours, in this painting Marquet chose to emphasise industrial development, giving the work a surprising composition. We can especially see how the striking perspective of the bridge is reproduced in the warehouses in the background. Created in 1899 in order to facilitate the communication between the two sides of the river, the Transbordeur bridge also inspired the acrobatics of the aviator Marcel Cavelier who flew his aircraft under it on May 5^th 1912, a display that Albert Marquet himself may have had the opportunity to witness.