An Autumn Morning, Ancarnan

This picture shows the influence of French Impressionism. At the centre of the picture a couple are seated on a broad expanse of luminous beach. Beyond them a few well-dressed figures are promenading, and the turquoise sea laps on the pebbled shore. This quiet picture describes an idyllic vision of life at the seaside at an exclusive resort in the late nineteenth century.

The title of the painting calls the location ‘Ancarnan’, an unknown name for a coastal location. It is probable that the title has been altered at some time and the place name incorrectly spelt. One suggestion is that the place may be Concarneau in Brittany which has a number of beautiful beaches.