(St. Cloud, France, 1854 - 1913, Paris, France)
c. 1890s
Oil on canvas
23 5/8 x 23 3/4 in. (59.9 x 60.5 cm)
Collection of the Akron Art Museum
Gift of Mrs. Arthur McKee
1959.89
La Touche was not a member of the French Impressionist group, but his style was clearly influenced by their work. Like American impressionists, he used a more precise technique that created a striking, mosaic-like pattern on the surface of his works. This image of a fountain and pond at twilight ("crepuscule" is French for "twilight" or "dusk") likely depicts a scene in the gardens of Versailles, a favorite subject of the artist's in his later years.