Beach Scene

Eugène Boudin

ca. 1882–83 · Pastel on gray wove paper mounted on card · Robert Lehman Collection

Boudin integrates indistinct figures into the buoyant seascape with deft strokes of pastel. Particularly fond of documenting natural light effects on the beaches of Normandy, Boudin worked from direct observation, and his plein air methods influenced the young Monet. This drawing was likely made during of Boudin’s trips to the resorts at Deauville and Trouville, which became fashionable destinations during the Second Empire for the city-dweller seeking rest and relaxation. These visits led Boudin to believe that the bourgeoisie “walking along the jetty toward the sunset have just as much right to be caught on canvas” as the peasants of Millet.

Artist

Eugène Boudin

Date

ca. 1882–83

Medium

Pastel on gray wove paper mounted on card

Department

Robert Lehman Collection

Credit line

Robert Lehman Collection, 1975