"Sunset - Le coucher du soleil" | Carcassonne, France | Pastel on Paper | By Susan Cua | International Impressionist Artist

"Sunset - Le coucher du soleil" | Carcassonne, France | Pastel on Paper | By Susan Cua | International Impressionist Artist

In “Sunset – Le coucher du soleil,” Susan Cua captures the medieval silhouette of Carcassonne beneath a radiant evening sky glowing with coral, violet, and electric blue. The dreamlike softness of pastel transforms the ancient fortress into something almost suspended between history and memory.

For nearly three decades, Cua has returned to France year after year, drawing inspiration from its light, architecture, culture, people, and atmosphere. That enduring connection is deeply felt here. She evokes the emotional experience of seeing the city at twilight. The moment when stone walls, fading sunlight, and distant hills dissolve into pure mood and color.

The luminous horizon and simplified forms reflect the spirit of Impressionism: capturing not just a place, but the fleeting poetry of how it feels to stand within it.