View of the Bay of Bandol: Tuna Fishing

Vernet's View of the Bay of Bandol depicting tuna fishing, from 1755, belongs to the Ports of France series' Mediterranean section and reflects the important role of large-scale fishing in the region's economy. The mattanza — the communal tuna hunt using fixed nets — was a dramatic seasonal event in the Mediterranean, and Vernet's depiction of the fishing activity gives this harbor view an unusually dynamic human subject compared to the commercial shipping scenes of his northern ports. The combination of natural spectacle and human industry aligns with the series' broader aim to celebrate France's productive maritime resources.

The tuna hunt introduces turbulent foreground activity — boats, nets, heaving fish — that contrasts with the calm glittering expanse of the bay and the distant coastline. Vernet's Mediterranean palette is at its brightest here, with intense blues and the white flash of water disturbed by the catch.