The Sea at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, 1888Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
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‘The Mediterranean Sea is a mackerel color: in other words, changeable – you do not always know whether it is green or purple, you do not always know if it is blue, as the next moment the ever-changing sheen has assumed a pink or a gray tint,’ Van Gogh wrote from Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. In this fishing village, Vincent painted the effects of light on the sea, with small fishing vessels returning with the catch. The large bright red signature is striking: ‘because I wanted to have a red note in the green.’
