Noon in Saint-Tropez

***note: since this is a water-based painting, it is recommended to frame artwork behind glass to avoid any contact with water or liquid.***

11" x 14" (image area is approximately 10" x 13")

gouache on high-quality Bristol paper

This striking oil-on-panel (or canvas) composition serves as a bold exploration of the male figure set against the romanticized backdrop of the French Riviera. The artist expertly balances the classical tradition of figurative realism with a modern, painterly sensibility, utilizing a rich, textural brushwork that gives the skin a palpable, sun-warmed vitality.

The central figure is rendered with powerful, athletic precision, his back to the viewer as he casts a steady, enigmatic gaze over his shoulder. This pose creates an immediate sense of intimacy and narrative tension - as if the viewer has happened upon a private moment of quiet reflection. The white towel draped at the waist provides a crisp, high-contrast anchor to the composition, highlighting the deep shadows and highlights of the model’s musculature.

Beyond the terrace, the landscape unfurls in a vibrant tapestry of Mediterranean color - a palette of cerulean and turquoise for the sweeping bay, punctuated by the terra cotta roofs of coastal villas and the lush, saturated greens of cypress and palm trees. A flourish of hot pink bougainvillea in the foreground adds a sensory burst of color, grounding the ethereal blue of the sea and sky.