Lutry. 20.06.2025. 14x18 cm

Lutry. 20.06.2025

This original plein-air oil painting was created in Lutry, Switzerland, on the shores of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) during the summer of June 2025. Painted directly outdoors, the work captures a fleeting lakeside moment where a solitary figure, a small boat and the vast openness of water and sky become part of a single luminous atmosphere.

The composition is built around simplicity and space. A person stands near the edge of the lake beside a small sailboat, while the distant shoreline and surrounding landscape dissolve into light. The human presence appears almost miniature against the expanse of Lac Léman, emphasizing the scale of nature and the quiet relationship between people and the lake.

Rather than focusing on detailed description, the painting explores perception itself. Thick layers of oil paint create a textured surface where sky, water and reflections merge through subtle tones of blue, grey, white and pale green. The landscape emerges through fragments of colour and light, allowing the atmosphere to become more important than precise form.

Lutry, located at the entrance of the Lavaux UNESCO World Heritage region, is shaped by the constant presence of Lac Léman and its changing reflections. The lake often transforms familiar views into studies of transparency, distance and shifting weather, where even ordinary scenes acquire a contemplative quality. (lutry.ch)

On this June day, the air appeared soft and luminous. The horizon dissolved into subtle transitions of tone while the still water reflected the quiet mood of the scene. The painting preserves a brief moment of calm observation before movement, wind and light altered the landscape once again.

Created during a single plein-air painting session, this work belongs to my ongoing series dedicated to Lutry, Lavaux and Lac Léman. Each painting records a direct encounter with atmosphere, light and place observed in nature.

Original plein-air oil painting by Olga Tacan.

Location: Lutry, Vaud, Switzerland
Subject: Figure with sailboat on Lac Léman (Lake Geneva)
Region: Lavaux UNESCO World Heritage landscape
Medium: Oil painting on panel
Date painted: 20 June 2025

Oil on paper

Plain air painting

Size 14 cm x 18 cm

Size with passé-partout  22x36 cm 

Date: 20 June 2025

Location: Lutry, Switzerland