A Day at the Beach with Edward Henry Potthast

Summer is in full swing as we can all feel every time we step outside! Luckily, here at MAACM we can savor wonderful images of summer fun from the cool air-conditioned galleries. No one captures the feel of summer on the beach like Edward Henry Potthast, whose works are on display in MAACM’s Collector’s Gallery.

Edward Henry Potthast (1857-1927) was an American Impressionist known for his lively beach scenes, punctuated with high contrast details.

Potthast uses this painting mid ground to highlight the people enjoying the day under a sunny, but cloud filled sky. Using bright pops of color, Potthast draws the viewer’s eye to beachgoers.

Born in Cincinnati Ohio, into a family of artists, Potthast began his artistic studies at the age of twelve at the McMicken School of Design. In 1881, Potthast spent four years in Europe, honing his craft at the Royal Academy in Munich and the Académie Julian in Paris. When he returned home in 1885, his work was highly influenced by the Munich and Dutch style with a dark palate, deliberate painterly brushwork, and excellent renderings of figures. His second trip to Paris in late 1886 would mark a drastic shift in style as Impressionism was sweeping the salons of Paris. Upon his return to New York City, Potthast’s work was characterized by a much lighter pallet and lose impressionist style with canvases full of light.

Enjoying the beach himself, Potthast painted many scenes of people enjoying seaside leisure inspired by his time visiting beach communities throughout the North East. When he stayed closer to home in New York City, he would take day trips to Coney Island or Far Rockaway. Bringing his easel and paints with him, painting in situ as many of his contemporaries did, to accurately capture the light and its effects real time.