Beach Scene 1910

Edward Henry Potthast made this painting, called Beach Scene, with what looks like dashes of thick oil paint. I imagine him, squinting in the sun, trying to capture that shimmering light on the water. You can almost feel the heat radiating off the canvas. Look at the way he's rendered the figures – these quick, lively strokes that give a sense of movement and energy. It's not about perfect representation, it's more about capturing the feeling of a summer day at the beach. I wonder if he was thinking about Monet when he made this work. Potthast is part of a conversation with all the painters who have tried to capture fleeting light and movement. Each stroke feels intuitive, like he's responding to something he sees, something he feels. And now, we get to respond to it too. I love that about painting.