One minute with Signac and its Ports de France

Dear Friends,

Here is a new “minute” with Paul Signac dedicated to his incredible artistic journey  of three years to paint the ports of  France.

In this exceptional suite of watercolours, let’s discover with us “Paimpol” and “Lomalo”.

Françoise and Florence Chibret-Plaussu

 

Paul Signac: “Les Ports de France”

 

This week we continue our one-minute series with Paul Signac and the ‘Ports de France’ series which is an exceptional suite of watercolours.

 

Remember Signac’s passion for boats.

This excellent sailor and seasoned yachtsman who travelled from Brittany to Istanbul via the Mediterranean, owned nearly 32 sailboats, some of which bore illustrious names such as ‘L’Olympia’ with which he sailed to Saint-Tropez in 1892 or ‘Manet – Zola – Wagner’, three revolutionary artists of their time .

 

The two watercolours that we are presenting to you today are part of the ‘Ports de France’ series, a project that Signac was already thinking of when reading Stendhal’s ‘Memoirs of a Tourist’.

In 1925, he announced this project to Felix Fénéon – the discoverer of the neo-impressionists and a great defender of Signac.

Then in 1928 Signac proposed his project to his friend and patron Gaston Lévy. He wrote to him:

‘For a long time I have dreamed of making an important suite of watercolours of the Ports of France.
I have selected forty ports on the English Channel, forty ports on the ocean; twenty ports on the Mediterranean.
In all, a hundred’.

Gaston Lévy, co-creator of the Monoprix stores was also passionate about art and a great collector. He accepted and ensured the material conditions of this monumental project.

In the spirit of Joseph Vernet and his views of the ports of France, commanded by Louis XV, Signac was so exalted by this adventure that he called his patron ‘My King’! He then travelled from port to port from 1929 to 1931 – an incredible journey accomplished without his family.

 

The two watercolours from Brittany that we are presenting to you here came from this remarkable journey: one representing Lomalo and the other, Paimpol.

The watercolours swirl and we can feel the artist’s obvious pleasure.

Two schooners with elegant lines lie at the dock in Paimpol, armed for fishing in Iceland.

The vivacity of the colours and this great economy of means emanates an impression of joyful freshness. This master of watercolour translates the changing universe of water, light, reflections and wind better than anyone.

A witness of his time without knowing it, he showed us some ports which were destroyed during the war.

Signac’s personal watercolour work remains unique in the art of the 20th century.

All our watercolours can be seen at the gallery.

 

Paul Signac (1863-1935)
Lomalo, 2 juin 1929

Attestation of Marina Ferretti, co-author of the Catalogue Raisonné, in charge of the Archives Signac.

 

Paul Signac (1863-1935)
Paimpol, 1930

Attestation of Marina Ferretti, co-author of the Catalogue Raisonné, in charge of the Archives Signac.

 

Discover “Venise, les voiles devant la Salute”
in the news “One minute with Paul Signac

 

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