Mousehole, Cornwall 1938

Richard Eurich painted “Mousehole, Cornwall” with oil on canvas using meticulous brushwork. The scene depicts a Cornish harbor filled with boats, and a village nestled against a green hillside. The painting is all about texture, think about the way Eurich renders the water and buildings with short, precise strokes, creating a tactile surface that invites you to reach out and touch the canvas. The details are stunning, like the reflections in the water. I am struck by the dark hull of the large boat in the foreground, inscribed with the barely-visible numbers ‘PZ 697’ – so carefully painted. The dark tones and dense detailing of the boat contrast with the lighter, more freely painted buildings and sky behind. There is something about the contrast between dark and light, detail and suggestion, which gives the painting its unique energy, echoing the ongoing dialogue and exchange of ideas that spans artistic movements and history.