Artwork
Nantasket Beach
Nantasket Beach is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Emil Carlsen. It dates from 1876 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Overview
The scene portrays a leisurely moment: two figures rest in the sand and look out at the rolling waves while a woman with a parasol walks along the water’s edge.
Emil Carlsen combined naturalism with a bright, light-filled palette, creating a seascape that harmonizes academic painting and Impressionism. Blue sky and white clouds fill much of the canvas. The scene portrays a leisurely moment: two figures rest in the sand and look out at the rolling waves while a woman with a parasol walks along the water’s edge. Seaside tourism in New England—a subject portrayed here by Carlsen and, more famously, by Winslow Homer (on view nearby)—increased in popularity during the late 19th century, offering a respite from growing industrialism. Trained in architecture in Copenhagen, Carlsen immigrated in 1872 to Chicago, shifting his focus to painting. After further study in Paris, he relocated to Boston in 1876, the year he executed this work.
History & Provenance
The artist, until c. 1884; George F. and Mary b. Daniels, Oxford, MA and Putnam, CT, c. 1884-1897; Edward F. Coffin, Worcester, MA, 1897-1923. Maynard Walker Galleries, May 1940; sold to Friends of American Art Collection, 1940; given to the Art Institute of Chicago.
Artist & collection
Artist
Soren Emil Carlsen (October 19, 1848, Copenhagen, Denmark – January 2, 1932, New York City, U.S.) was an American Impressionist painter who emigrated to the United States from Denmark.
