The Barge 'St. Tropez' in the Harbor of Cannes

Painted in 1926 and held at the National Gallery of Art, this harbour scene at Cannes documenting the barge 'St. Tropez' belongs to Bonnard's sustained engagement with the Mediterranean working coast during his Le Cannet years. The barge — a working vessel — in a pleasure port provides an interesting social juxtaposition: the working watercraft against the leisure background of Cannes harbour. By 1926 Bonnard had settled permanently at Le Cannet and was making regular excursions to the nearby coast. The NGA's holding places this marine subject within the broader context of his landscape achievement.

The barge's dark hull creates a solid tonal anchor in the composition. The harbour water in Mediterranean blue provides a brilliant surround. Warm stone and ochre of harbour buildings contrast with the intense blue. The handling captures the specific quality of coastal Mediterranean light.