Van Gogh – Seascape near Les Saintes Poster

Vincent van Gogh painted *Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer* during a brief trip he took to Saintes-Maries on the Mediterranean coast in June 1888. In a letter to Theo, he wrote that this was the first time he had truly seen the sea here and that feeling the proximity of Africa was important for understanding the colors of the South. During the few days he spent on the coast, Van Gogh observed the fishing boats very early in the morning; the boats set out so early that he had to work before sunrise to capture certain scenes. The turquoise and navy blue waves, white foam, and small sailboats are therefore not merely a seascape but a direct testament to the period when his perspective on color in Southern France began to shift.