La Turballe belongs to the currently separated watercolor series “Ports of France”. The artist started this work on March 25, 1929, in Sète and finished it on April 30, 1931, in Menton. The series consisted of 200 sheets and included views of 100 seaports of the French coast. This project was made possible with the financial support of Gaston Levis, a collector and philanthropist whom Signac met in 1928. The idea of the suite was to continue the tradition that can be traced back to the famous “Ports of France” series by Claude Joseph Vernet. Signac planned to paint 40 ports of the English Channel, 40 ports of the Atlantic coast, and 20 Mediterranean ports. In every town he wanted to paint two watercolors: one for the collector and another for himself, but from different views. The clients could later choose whichever of the two paintings they preferred. The watercolors have dates and locations indicated by the artist, allowing us to trace his journey. In the painting from the Museum collection, we can see the town of La Turballe from the piers. Inspired by William Turner, Signac used watercolor to capture his impressions during his travels. The series “Ports of France” is one of Signac’s best achievements as a watercolorist: watercolor painting, which he turned to in 1892, played an essential role in his art. Watercolors made enplein air served as material for paintings he created in the studio. At the same time, the watercolors had their own value, not only for the artist himself, but also for collectors.