Edward Henry Potthast  (American, 1857-1927) 

Edward Henry Potthast (American, 1857–1927) enrolled at the age of 12 at the McMicken School of Design. By his twenties, showing great promise in lithography and painting, he travelled to Antwerp and Munich. During his time in Europe, he visited Paris, where he was exposed to and heavily influenced by French Impressionism. Upon his return to the United States, Potthast soon became recognized as one of the leading American Impressionists. Executed in cool-toned colors, his paintings of outdoor scenes display an interest in the effects of color and light. His best-known works are sunny coastal beach scenes of women and children, several of which earned prizes at the National Academy of Design and the American Water Color Society.