Susan Gertrude Schell, Nova Scotia

Vacationing in Nova Scotia, Schell captures the dramatic expanse of a cove-shaped beach and the light of the sun as it reflects off the ocean. One can imagine shells and seaweed between the rocks and the scent of salt water in the air. The horizontal-shaped canvas together with a few small houses and two figures establish the overwhelming scale of nature. Just as the French Impressionists made paintings of the leisure activities of Parisians when they went on holiday to Normandy or the South of France, so did the Philadelphia Impressionists document the experiences of vacationing in Nova Scotia, Maine, Monhegan, Gloucester, and other scenic destinations.