The harbour in the French town of Collioure was one of Henri Martin's most celebrated subjects, of which the present work is an excellent example. Martin's particular style during this period was influenced by later Pointilism and his technique involved using separate, broad brushstrokes applied with a dry brush to create his light-infused canvases. His technique imparts a delicate, shimmering effect to the rising sun as it picks out the fishermen and their boats, and casts the port's church into shadow.

Martin was always attracted to symbolic subject matter, and in the late 1880s he began to use an Impressionistic style to capture his subject, laying out short, light brushstrokes of individual colors. Despite his Pointillist influences, he was never moved to create purely technical works of carefully placed colors and precise paint-handling. His paintings always remained imbued with a warm glow belying the personal significance of his subject matter.

By the time Martin settled in Collioure in 1923, the port town had long been a destination for artists. Matisse, Dérain, and Signac had all painted Collioure, drawn to its charm and slower way of life. Signac in particular was an influence on Martin's shift to a more Pointilist style, represented by the present work.

Born in Toulouse, Martin began his artistic career at the local École des Beaux-Arts, winning the grand prixe at the young age of nineteenth. Shortly afterwards he moved to Paris to study under the academic painter Jean-Paul Laurens. He exhibited frequently in Paris during this perio