Traunstein River on the Road to Empfig, Bavaria

1894

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Landscape

Dominant colour

Traunstein River on the Road to Empfig, Bavaria is a 1894 by William Stanley Haseltine, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: William Stanley Haseltine
When & what style?: 1894 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This watercolor shows the still Traunstein River in Bavaria on a summer day. Light dances across the water. Two rowboats float near the shore. Haseltine used thin watercolor washes to build up layers of color. He left parts of the blue paper showing through. This gives the water a glowing look. His quiet style feels close to Caspar David Friedrich’s landscapes.

The story of this work

Overview

In this watercolor, William Stanley Haseltine portrayed the calm shore of the Traunstein River, Bavaria, on a summer afternoon. A member of the Hudson River School and a practitioner of Luminism, Haseltine focused on atmosphere and reflection rather than a grand vista. His transparent washes and areas of opaque watercolor over blue paper create the effect of light skipping across the water.

Read the full account in the museum source.