Charles Auguste Edelmann
A charming beach painting from the 1920s by Charles Auguste Edelmann, taking us into the world of vacation. The sun, the beach, the skimpy outfits, the beach tents and, of course, the azure blue sea…
Oil on panel
Signed bottom left
Dimensions: 27 x 34 cm
With frame: 45.5 x 52.5 cm
Price: 3500 euros
Beach scenes, a recurring theme in the history of art
Nature has always been a source of inspiration for artists, but the beach is a particularly recurrent theme in the history of art.
The French Impressionists of the 19th century were the first to take their easels outdoors, leading the artists who followed them to practice plein-air painting.
These charming works of art capture the colors, light and atmosphere of quiet days at the beach.
A harmony of soft, pastel colors and a lively touch
Charles Auguste Edelmann uses a light, bright palette; a harmony of pastel colors, mainly in sandy beige. The white-and-yellow striped beach tent illuminates the center of the scene.Women and children are suggested by a light touch.
Biography
Originally from Alsace, Ch. A. Edelmann studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was a pupil of J.L Gérome and Ferdinand Humbert. He exhibits in Paris at the Salon des Artistes Français and in Alsace at the Union des Artistes Alsaciens, Strasbourg and Mulhouse.
After an initial, very anecdotal period drawing on a miserabilistic theme: beggars and tramps in a sad suburban setting, he changed genre and became the portraitist of the modern, urban woman.
He sketches the Parisian woman in the market, the bar, the milliner’s shop, with a quick, accurate sense of style. He translates his characters’ attitudes with ease and great freedom, as if in a snapshot.
This fast, accurate handwriting led him to illustration; he illustrated numerous works by great writers from Balzac to Musset, Courtine, Oscar Wilde… He also produced numerous decorative panels.
Acquisitions by the French state in the 1920s were regular, adorning prestigious venues such as the Élysée Palace, the Chamber of Deputies and embassies.
Charles Auguste Edelmann’s work is confidential, talented – and the critic’s term is apt – “elegant”.
Bibliography
– 1820 1920 Value of Tomorrow
– Gérard. Schurr “Les Petits Maitres de la Peinture”, Artistes alsaciens de jadis et de naguère, François Lotz.
Museums
– In Paris: Centre Pompidou, Centre National d’art moderne et contemporain
– In Strasbourg: Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
