Werner Groshans, born Eutingen, Germany 1913-died Catskill, NY 1986 Search this
Medium:
oil on canvas
Dimensions:
17 1/8 x 23 1/8 in. (43.6 x 58.6 cm.)
Type:
Painting
Date:
1961
Luce Center Label:
In Lake Erie Shore a man and his springer spaniel enjoy a day at the beach, apparently oblivious to the woman walking toward them. The dark clouds that fill the sky and the disconnected footprints in the sand add to the unsettling feeling of this otherwise conventional scene. Werner Groshans always began his paintings with a pastel study, which he transferred to canvas using tracing paper. He used a wide brush to finish the paintings, which minimized the visibility of his brushstrokes, resulting in a dream-like feeling in his art. Groshans would spend months on a single image and often had several in progress at the same time. His landscapes often contain strange juxtapositions of figures who appear unaware of one another's presence.
Luce Object Quote:
"What interests me is the mysterious element that really does exist in nature, sometimes the most commonplace objects and situations--that magic moment that makes an unexplainable experience linger in your memory." The artist, quoted in Dulac, "Werner Groshans: Painter of Realism & Fantasy," American Artist 34, no. 6 (June 1970)
