拍品專文
Unlike many American Impressionists who headed to Europe for artistic training, Edward Potthast remained in the United States to paint the vibrant, sunny works that have endured as images of American leisure time. At the Beach is a stunning example of the work that has made Potthast one of the best loved American Impressionists.
By choosing a vibrant palette, Potthast imbued this work with a lively and appealing character. The radiant blues and greens of the sea are highlighted by the crisp white caps of the waves. The spray of the surf tosses playfully at the feet of the carefree subjects who are enjoying the pleasures of the seashore. The water extends to all four sides of the canvas which gives the viewer a sense of the expanse of the unlimited shore.
Indeed, Potthast's "legacy is a tribute to the carefree atmosphere of the seashore: happy children rollicking about, splashing in the surf, young mothers with children in their arms or beside their breeze-blown skirts, gossiping or strolling the beach; and family groups, picnicking, sunning themselves or chatting merrily on the sand beside gayly colored beach umbrellas. The combination of these themes was inexhaustible and Potthast never seemed to tire of new variations." (A. Jacobwitz, Edward Potthast 1857 to 1927, New York, 1969, n.p.)
This painting will be included in Mary O'Connell's forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist's work.
By choosing a vibrant palette, Potthast imbued this work with a lively and appealing character. The radiant blues and greens of the sea are highlighted by the crisp white caps of the waves. The spray of the surf tosses playfully at the feet of the carefree subjects who are enjoying the pleasures of the seashore. The water extends to all four sides of the canvas which gives the viewer a sense of the expanse of the unlimited shore.
Indeed, Potthast's "legacy is a tribute to the carefree atmosphere of the seashore: happy children rollicking about, splashing in the surf, young mothers with children in their arms or beside their breeze-blown skirts, gossiping or strolling the beach; and family groups, picnicking, sunning themselves or chatting merrily on the sand beside gayly colored beach umbrellas. The combination of these themes was inexhaustible and Potthast never seemed to tire of new variations." (A. Jacobwitz, Edward Potthast 1857 to 1927, New York, 1969, n.p.)
This painting will be included in Mary O'Connell's forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist's work.