Saint Tropez, The Tartans

Saint Tropez, The Tartans (1893) depicts the traditional wooden fishing boats of the Provençal coast — tartans with their distinctive triangular lateen sails — moored in the harbour Signac had adopted as his home the previous year. His first summer in Saint-Tropez transformed his work: the intensity of Mediterranean light and the harbour's concentrated chromatic richness pushed his divisionist technique towards greater vibrancy. The Tartans were photographed by Paul Signac and served as recurrent motifs in his harbour paintings. Courtauld Gallery, London.

Wooden boat hulls in warm orange and brown tones are contrasted with the deep blue-green of the harbour water below. The divisionist dots are fine and systematically applied, with the boat's reflections extending the colour composition into the water. Masts and rigging create a vertical linear counterpoint to the horizontal harbour surface.