1857 -1927 · American impressionism and waterfront recreation

Sun, waves, moving children and colorful touches make Potthast one of the most joyful performers on American beaches.

Edward Henry Potthast was born in Cincinnati in 1857 into a family of artisans of German origin. He studied at a very young age at the McMicken School of Design with Thomas S. Noble while working as a lithographer. His European stays in the 1880s took him to Antwerp, Munich then Paris, where he discovered a clearer palette and impressionist research. Returning to Cincinnati, he exhibited interiors and subjects still marked by the dark realism of Munich. In 1895, he exhibited interiors and subjects still marked by the dark realism of Munich. In 1895, he exhibited interiors and subjects still marked by the dark realism of Munich. In 1895, he exhibited interiors and subjects still marked by the dark realism of Munich. In 1895, he moved to New York and gradually developed the area that would make him famous: modern leisure activities by the sea, in Central Park and on the coasts of New England. Women, children, fishermen and sailboats are captured in bright light, with thick touches and bright colors. Potthast also painted portraits, European landscapes, rural scenes, watercolors and drawings. A member of numerous New York artistic associations, he died in his studio in 1927. His work united academic training, illustrator profession and impressionist freedom. The "Edward Henry Potthast" selection notably compares Au bord de la mer and Scène de plage (or Dimanche sur la plage). His reading favors details.

Potthast transforms the beach into a modern scene: the light, the wind and the movement of the children make you forget all poses.