La Colonie de Vacances (Summer Camp), 1913

Maurice Denis (1870-1943) often vacationed with his family in Brittany. There, he created several marine paintings, like this one, which depicts a group of children.
These orphans are accompanied by three nuns, whose wimples echo the white sails of the boats. The palette is simplified, and is essentially composed of orange and blue. Their association, which is certainly complementary, allows Denis to create a golden atmosphere for this end-of-day scene. The painting is bright, an effect accentuated by the numerous white touches on the surface of the water.
Denis was first part of the Nabis group, of which he theorised the precepts in 1890, before distancing himself from them. Then, he dedicated himself to the decoration of several monuments and worked on renovating religious paintings.