Voiliers à Cannes depicts the bay of Cannes with the Mont Chevalier in the distance, in the foreground is the Hotel Ambassadeurs.

In the 1920s, as van Dongen’s popularity increased, he became financially more secure and was able to by an elegant villa in Cannes and from this time on he painted many vivid, colourful scenes of the Côte d’Azur. Voiliers à Cannes captures the luminosity and carefree spirit of Cannes, the resort activities of sailing and strolling on the beach illustrate the city to be one of leisure and relaxation. However, it is the hazy, soft pink coloration of the sun reflecting off Le Mont Chevalier in the distance emphasises the atmosphere of this Mediterranean scene. Van Dongen centres our attention on the white sail boats which are juxtaposed by the deep blue water. The water is rendered with long, smooth brushstrokes imparting a feeling of stillness to the scene. The present work, like much of van Dongen’s later oeuvre, renders a vibrant, blissful scene, using lustrous coloration. “Throughout his life, van Dongen maintained his youthful spontaneity that was to be a lifelong charm of his personality.” (exhibition catalogue, University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, 1971, p 10)

A view of Cannes with Mont Chevalier in the distance