Les Quais du port de l'Agha

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“Marquet combined a sure grasp of form, a sensitive and skillful exploitation of dramatic effects of light, and a feeling for color that managed to be sober and rich at the same time,” Howard Devree wrote of Albert Marquet in a 1953 New York Times article. Known primarily as a landscapist who painted misty scenes of Paris and the lands he visited, Marquet often incorporated the sea or rivers, showcasing his adept rendering of the silvery quality of light reflecting on water (as in Port de Marseille, 1924). A friend of Henri Matisse, Marquet is often associated with the Fauves, yet some critics see more of an overlap with Édouard Manet and the Impressionists. As his style developed, pure colors gave way to a reserved linear style evoking the classical composure of Jean-Baptiste-Camile Corot, whom he admired.