Edward Cucuel Lot n° 18

(San Francisco 1875–1951 Pasadena) Frühstück im Wald (Breakfast in the forest), around 1912, signed Cucuel; signed and dated Cucuel 16 on the reverse and on the stretcher, titled on a label on the reverse, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm, framed We are grateful to Mr. Bernd Dürr for confirming the authenticity of this work. Provenance: AS Wang Kunst og Antikvitetshandel Oscar Handel, Molde Thence by decent Acquired from the above by the present owner around 15 years ago – Private Collection, Sweden After travelling widely across Europe, Cucuel lived and worked in and around Munich from 1907 onwards. It was here where he painted the present work. Influenced by French Impressionism, Cucuel conveys not only a sense of liberation in style, but a true enjoyment of life, his favorite subjects being picnics, promenades and boating trips, and scenes of nature featuring young women. Breakfast in the forest is a feast of dappled sunlight and luscious foliage. Cucuel succeeds by his use of light and color in capturing on canvas fleeting atmosphere effects, the warm light and dazzling colors as well as the depth of the forest he found there. In the foreground, three young women are enjoying a picnic in the forest with summer dresses and umbrella strolls. The nature surrounding them is no longer merely a background but creates the illusion for the viewer of being in the painting.