L’Homme à la Barre (The Man at the Helm), 1892

Belgian painter Théo van Rysselberghe (1862-1926) was a friend of Paul Signac. The two divisionist artists shared a passion for sailing and travelled together on board the yacht, Olympia. It was as a souvenir of this nautical expedition in 1892, that he gave him this painting.
The artist chose a close-up on the waves, placing the sailor at an angle on the canvas. The elements of the yacht appear at an angle, here and there, cut by the choice of framing, which accentuates the impression of general instability. The composition of the canvas refers to Japanese print techniques, which were favored by artists at the end of the 19th century.
Van Rysselberghe used the divisionist technique showcased by Seurat and Signac a few years earlier. He applied optical theories linked with colors by juxtaposing a multitude of touches of pure color.