Felsabhang bei Saut de Doubs II

Carl Schuch's 'Felsabhang bei Saut de Doubs II' (Rocky Slope at Saut du Doubs II, 1887) is another version of his Doubs waterfall subjects — the rocky slope of the gorge that contained the Saut du Doubs waterfall creating a geological landscape subject of austere, dramatic character. Schuch's sustained engagement with the Doubs landscape and its specific geological and atmospheric character produced multiple versions of the same subjects, his practice of returning to the same motif connecting him (independently) to the series approach that Monet would make famous.

Schuch renders the rocky slope with his characteristic dark, matter-of-fact palette and direct observational approach — the rocky geological forms of the Jura gorge depicted with the honest materiality of his Courbet-influenced technique. His handling of the specific rock types, the vegetation that clings to the cliff faces, and the quality of light within the enclosed gorge creates the landscape's austere atmospheric character. The 'II' version allows comparison with his first treatment of the same motif.