Edward Potthast 1857-1927

Primarily known for his bright and colorful beach scenes, Edward Henry Potthast grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to New York in 1895. In addition to studying in Cincinnati, Potthast traveled to Antwerp, Munich, and Paris to expand his artistic education prior to relocating to the East Coast. During this period, he exhibited at the Paris Salon and Munich Academy as well as at the Cincinnati Art Museum. 

After moving to New York, he also exhibited at the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Salmagundi Club, and the American Water Color Society, among other institutions. Potthast continued to travel both nationally and internationally while based in New York, with summer months spent in Gloucester, Massachusetts; Ogunquit, Maine; Old Lyme, Connecticut; and Nantucket, which provided limitless inspiration for his famous beach scenes. Trips to Holland, Italy, the Grand Canyon, and the Pacific Northwest offered a variety of landscape subjects and added variety to his mature work.

In the early 1900s, Potthast’s work transitioned from the dark Dutch inspired interiors for which he first won awards, to the light-filled Impressionist scenes painted with bravura in a high-keyed palette. In 1908, he established his studio at 222 West 59th Street, where he had a spectacular view overlooking Central Park South. This location inspired him to paint views of the park. His favorite subjects, however, were families passing carefree summer hours at the seashore. Since Coney Island and Brighton Beach were so close to his studio in the city, he gained much plein air practice over the hot New York summers.