The Old Harbor of Marseille in Kisling’s Colors

In front of a milky horizon where sky and water seem to meet in the same colored mist, Moïse Kisling painted three boats that recall the traditional livelihood of men living along the Mediterranean coast: fishing. They are a local type called "pointu", or pointed. The largest, in the background, has a lateen sail, while those in the foreground, whose rudimentary helm can be made out, actually look bigger. Based on an ancient…