Charles Courtney Curran (1861–1942)
An Afternoon Respite, 1894
Oil on canvas, 9 x 12 in.
Signed and dated lower right: Chas C. Curran 1894
From 1888 to 1890, Curran studied at the Académie Julian in Paris. His exposure to French Impressionism there is evident in the brighter palette and dappled light effect of this 1894 painting An Afternoon Respite. This small jewel depicts a young woman who, after picking the orange flowers that rest in her lap, has reclined on a shady hill overlooking the ocean. Depicted in profile, she gazes out toward a small sailboat in the middle ground and a sailing ship in the distance. Her relaxed posture and expression and the harmonious palette of blues, greens, and lavender both contribute to a mood of leisure and contentment.