Description:
Eugène Cadel (1862-1942) was a French painter and draftsman. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and Académie Julian. He exhibited at the Salon Société des Artistes Français and Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. He painted pointillist works, as well as realistic religious representations. He also engaged in satirical works, referring to the situation in the country.

Description of the painting:
The painting depicts a tranquil bay surrounded by hills, with a boat filled with tightly packed women wearing traditional white bonnets. The boat is operated by two men, standing at its extremes. The dark green waters and the surrounding grassy and wooded hills almost dominate the composition. The coldness of the landscape, developed with cold greens and blues, is also reflected in the curled up figures of the women. The small boat hull blends in with the environment. It is highlighted by the presence of the white bonnets and the blurred reflection of the reddish sail in the lower edge of the painting. In the distance, behind the hill, the buildings stand against the blue sky. Near the boat is also a house, timidly emerging from the rocks. The smoke coming from the chimney indicates the presence of inhabitants, promising warmth and a safe shelter. Beside the house is a sailboat moored in the bay.

Eugène Cadel, a French painter and draftsman, mainly focused on satirical works, presenting French life in a humorous way. His approach to landscape painting was different, using pointillist technique with short brushstrokes, creating a kind of painting mosaic. His landscapes were characterized by a special mood and symbolism. This is visible in the present painting. We may see a realistically existing corner here, but the way it is presented refers in a symbolic way to the daily life of its inhabitants. Their anonymous, small figures on the small boat seem fragile against the enormity of nature around them, yet they are an integral and inseparable part of it.