Graphite and watercolour on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/john-platt-1779" aria-label="More by John Platt" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">John Platt</a>
Port St Tropez
Purchased 1924
architecture
boat, sailing
cities, towns, villages (non-UK)
countries and continents
dock
France
harbour
hill
landscape
morning
places
Saint-Tropez - non-specific
seascapes and coasts
society
times of the day
townscapes / man-made features
transport: water
paper unique graphite watercolour
The Port of St Tropez
support: 470 × 324 mm
Purchased 1924
<p><b>N03875</b>	THE PORT OF ST TROPEZ 1922</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inscr. ‘St. Tropez Sept 1922 John Platt’ b.l.
<br/>Pencil and watercolour, 18 1/2×12 3/4 (47×32·5).
<br/>Purchased from the artist (Duveen Drawings Fund) 1924.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> N.E.A.C., December 1923–January 1924 (159).</p>
<p>The artist wrote (22 September 1958) that the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawing</span></a> was made from his window in the very early hours of the morning. ‘To me the scene was an epitome of the place. The drawing was made as an expression of my interest in the build and rig of the Mediterranean sailing boat with its single tall mast and lateen sail rig, in contrast to the familiar ketch-rigged Brixham and Yarmouth trawlers (vessels about the same size, but evolved for the different weather and tide conditions of the English Channel and North Sea). Instead of mooring alongside, as in Atlantic harbours, this Mediterranean port, being almost tideless, allows of mooring stern on to the quayside, and thus of unloading the cargo, for example, barrels of wine, by a single plank. The scene offered an <i>effective pictorial</i> statement of the essential character of the port of St Tropez.’</p>
<p>The artist subsequently made a colour-<a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/woodcut" title="Glossary definition for 'Woodcut'"><span>woodcut</span></a> ‘Port of St Tropez’ based on this drawing, a copy of which is in the V. &amp; A. (repr. J. E. Platt, <i>Colour Woodcuts</i>, 1938, p.43, pl.11).</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-05T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
architecture boat, sailing cities, towns, villages (non-UK) countries and continents dock France harbour hill landscape morning places Saint-Tropez - non-specific seascapes and coasts society times of the day townscapes / man-made features transport: water