19th Century French Coastal Landscape Painting, Signed Kuwasseg

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Inspired by his voyages as a sailor, the French painter Charles Kuwasseg painted this impressive coastal landscape painting in the … Read more Inspired by his voyages as a sailor, the French painter Charles Kuwasseg painted this impressive coastal landscape painting in the 1870’s (the canvas is signed and dated in the lower left corner). Multistory timber framed buildings of various colors, including cream, green, brown, and gray sit high above the water’s edge. Interestingly, there is no port depicted in the city, despite the numerous boats attempting to embark into the choppy waters beneath an overcast sky. A two-masted vessel has already left the sand-lined shore, while two other boats are preparing to enter the water. Two spectators stand just behind the beached boats, while numerous others line the walls of the city.

Charles Euphrasie Kuwasseg was born in France in 1838, the son of the well-renowned Italian-born Austrian painter, Karl Joseph Kuwasseg. The elder Kuwasseg moved to Paris in 1830 and later began educating young Charles. Charles would eventually receive formal training under Jean Baptiste Henri Durand-Brager and Eugene Isabey. Known for his landscape paintings, Charles leaned heavily on his time as a sailor, often painting the Brittany or Normandy coastlines. Charles was also influenced by the Barbizon School, which was a collective of painters that focused on Realism in art. See less