Musee Oceanographie, Monaco.

In a brief visit to the gift shop before departing Monaco, I chanced upon a French-language booklet on the history of The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

After several days in the south of France my long hibernating language skills were beginning to stir to life, so I was able to make rudimentary sense of the distinguished story of this museum and this country.

Then I encountered this graphic.

What had begun as a brisk thumb through a souvenir brochure became a swift decision to purchase it, for no other reason than to digitize, print, study and live with this image.

I love the pen and ink, the watercolor, the tones of grey--and yes, the fine balance between the sea and the architecture.

I'd never connected it with Jacques Cousteau or the Beatles, though there it was, at the entrance to the Musee Oceanographie de Monaco, the Yellow Submarine.