Artist Edward Cucuel and his wife Clara Lotte von Marcard spent their first two decades together in Germany, mostly in a villa on Lake Ammersee in Holzhausen near Munich. It is the works created in this period, mainly outdoor scenes of young women in fashionable attire of the day, that are most collected and appreciated among his works. It's easy to see why- they capture an elegance and sense of calm and easy leisure- of long days in gardens or by the water. Inches
This is one of those captured moments with a well-dressed woman watching the sailing yachts of Starnberg, Germany. Cucuel labels the work "Im Yacht Club" announcing that he is a member of the group, and enjoying the view along with the lady as he preserves it in art.
Early in his career Cucuel was primarily influenced by the German Expressionist movement but later joined the artists' group Die Scholle and transitioned to a more InchesImpressionist style. This piece is certainly from that later period given the active brushwork and heavy impasto so typical of Impressionism. Inches
The artist cleverly puts the heaviest impasto in the foreground to add immediacy and visual interest to the figure and surrounding flowers and greenery. The near shore and sailboats retain some texture, while the far hills and pastel sky fade into soft, smooth strokes. These aspects along with the outstanding color work create a serene and contemplative scene, as if we are in the shade right next to the figure, also enjoying the view. "
The painting's large size and square format make it seem like a window to another time and place. This work was part of Joe's collection for more than 20 years.
