Fishing in spring. April, 9th 2025. Lutry Port. 19x25.5 cm

Fishing in Spring. April 9th, 2025. Lutry Port

This original plein-air oil painting was created in Lutry Port, Switzerland, on the shores of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) in April 2025. Painted directly outdoors, the work captures a quiet spring morning at the edge of the lake, where a solitary fisherman stands at the end of the harbour pier beneath a sky filled with drifting clouds.

The composition is built around a simple yet powerful arrangement of forms. A stone pier projects into the open water, leading the eye toward the fisherman and the harbour beacon standing beside him at the very end of the jetty. Together, these two vertical accents create a focal point within the vast horizontal expanse of lake, shoreline and sky.

The fisherman appears small against the openness of Lac Léman. Rather than depicting an activity, the painting evokes a state of waiting and observation. The figure becomes part of the landscape itself, sharing the stillness of the water and the slow movement of the clouds above.

Large spring clouds dominate the upper half of the composition. Their luminous forms echo across the surface of the lake through subtle reflections and tonal variations. The atmosphere feels bright and spacious, while the distant shoreline remains softened by light and distance.

The harbour beacon serves as an important visual landmark. Standing at the end of the pier, it marks the boundary between the protected space of the port and the open waters beyond. Its slender silhouette introduces a sense of scale, emphasizing the immensity of the surrounding lake.

Painted with visible, expressive brushwork, the work combines pale blues, whites, soft greens and gentle grey tones. Thick layers of oil paint preserve the immediacy of direct observation, allowing light and atmosphere to remain the central subjects of the painting.

On this April day, the water was calm, the clouds moved slowly across the sky and the port seemed suspended between activity and silence. The painting preserves this fleeting moment of spring clarity beside Lac Léman.

Created during a single plein-air painting session, this work belongs to my ongoing series dedicated to Lutry, Lavaux and the landscapes surrounding Lake Geneva. Each painting records a direct experience of place, season and atmosphere observed outdoors in nature.

Original plein-air oil painting by Olga Tacan.

Location: Lutry Port, Vaud, Switzerland
Subject: Fisherman and harbour beacon on the pier of Lac Léman
Region: Lavaux, Switzerland
Medium: Oil painting
Date painted: 9 April 2025

Oil on paper

Plain air painting

Size 19 cm x 25.5 cm

Size with passé-partout 36x48 cm 

Date: 9 April 2025

Location: Lutry, Switzerland