Summer Landscape

a Pastel Painting by Francesco Spicuzza

Francesco Spicuzza was one of only a few artists able to make a living primarily as a  professional painter early in his life. To do so, he had to be very prolific and diverse. He produced  artwork in various media, of various sizes, prices, and subjects—which appealed to the widest audience possible.

His early impressionist oil paintings of Lake Michigan beach scenes are the most  successful and highly collected today. His later work became formulaic and  repetitive, as he produced thousands of landscapes and florals in pastel and oil.  Nonetheless, he was very skilled and may be Wisconsin’s most recognizable and  collected painter.

Later in life, he acquired a lake cottage on Big Cedar Lake near West Bend, which is believed to be the location of this work. He painted the location frequently in various seasons, and at different times of day. This beautiful scene demonstrates Spicuzza’s talent capturing subtle atmospheric conditions in low light—a true master of impressionism.