Three Women at Seashore

Franz A. Bischoff
Three Women at Seashore
Oil on board, c. 1920
19 x 26 inches
Gift of the Carl S. Dentzel Estate
1984.025.262

Here is a rare figural work by Franz Bischoff, a depiction of three young women gathered on a rocky outcropping by the sea. The three are oblivious to the observer, very self-absorbed as they enjoy their summer idyll. Other figural works by Bischoff depict female figures in a classical setting, and it is interesting to speculate as to whether these young women are Bischoff’s modern interpretation of the Three Muses. In fact, a small watercolor sketch of his entitled The Three Muses Wading In was sold at auction in 1996.