(San Francisco 1875–1951 Pasadena)
Der japanische Schirm - The Japanese umbrella, signed Cucuel, titled on the stretcher, oil on canvas, 80 x 65.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private Collection, Germany since the 1940s

Edward Cucuel was born in America and studied at the Académie Julian and the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the 1890s.
After completing his studies he concentrated his attention on the colours and motifs chosen by the French Impressionists, and also travelled widely across Europe, devoting his time to the study of the works of the Old Masters. From 1907 onwards he lived and worked in and around Munich, from where much of his natural lyricism originates. Edward Cucuel was fascinated by the works and painting style of a group of artists referred to as “Die Scholle”, and he was inspired by open-air painting, in particular, the work of Leo Putz. The “Scholle” artists believed primarily in depicting the individual’s experience of the essential.
Following the end of the Second World War, Edward Cucuel worked in Munich, and also on “Starnberger See”, where he spent most of his time. He succeeded in effortlessly replicating the stance and body language of young women who engaged in leisure activities seemingly unobserved, rowing across the lake or enjoying nature. The light on the lake, the interplay between patches of sunlight and shade and the greenery reflecting on the surface of the water are captured on canvas by Cucuel thanks to his particularly intense use of light and colour.