Albert Marquet Art for Sale: Prints & Originals

Albert
Marquet

Albert Marquet, a distinguished French painter, is celebrated for his mastery of Fauvism and his evocative maritime landscapes. If you’re looking for original Albert Marquet paintings for sale or would like to sell, request a complimentary valuation and browse our network’s most in-demand works.

Biography

Born in 1875 in Bordeaux, France, Marquet showed an early affinity for art, which led him to the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His studies continued at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he honed his skills under Gustave Moreau. At the Beaux-Arts, Marquet forged a lifelong friendship with Henri Matisse, and alongside artists like André Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck, he explored the bold and expressive use of colour that would come to define Fauvism.

Marquet's artistic development was marked by his unique approach to Fauvism. His works, often featuring the harbours of Paris and North Africa, were imbued with a sense of calm and timelessness. Unlike his Fauvist peers, Marquet favoured a restrained palette of blues, greens, and greys, which he used to depict the ever-changing atmospheric conditions of his chosen landscapes. His subtle modulation of tones conveyed the fleeting effects of light and weather with a serene clarity.

Throughout his career, Marquet's oeuvre remained consistent in its focus on landscapes, maritime scenes, and the interplay of architecture and water. He travelled extensively, drawing inspiration from the diverse environments he encountered. Through his travels, Marquet produced a vast body of work that reflected his profound connection to his surroundings and his exceptional ability to distil peacefulness from a scene.

Marquet's contributions were celebrated in numerous exhibitions, with his works gracing the walls of prestigious galleries and earning him a respected place among the artists of his time. His legacy is one of lyrical Impressionism, a precursor to the abstract expressions that would later emerge. Marquet's influence extended to artists who sought to capture the intangible qualities of their environment.

Marquet is renowned for his peaceful, restrained interpretations of landscapes and water scenes, rather distinct from the typically vibrant and wild works of his Fauvist contemporaries like Matisse. Marquet's palette was dominated by muted tones, and he had a particular affinity for depicting the changing moods of rivers, harbours, and the sea. His approach to Fauvism was more about capturing the peace of the moment rather than its wildness, offering a serene contrast within this avant-garde movement.
Over the years, Marquet's style evolved from the bright colours of Fauvism to a more subdued, almost impressionistic technique. He was deeply influenced by the Impressionists' fascination with light and the way it played upon the water. This fascination is evident in works like Le Pilat, where he often returned to the same locations to capture the atmospheres under different weather conditions and times of day, much like Monet did with his series paintings.