A landscape painter, Eugène Boudin was one of the first artists to paint outside of a studio. The son of a sailor, he retained a fascination with the sea, which inspired some of his most beautiful paintings. On the coast of his native Normandy, he enjoyed depicting the pleasures of the Parisian bourgeoisie who frequented the emerging seaside resorts. His true quest, however, remained light and its infinite variations. A friend of Baudelaire and Monet, he took part in the first exhibition of the Impressionist group in 1874. However, he refused to consider himself one of them, preferring to retain his freedom. He left behind a body of work comprising 4,500 paintings and 7,000 drawings, making him a precursor of modern painting.
A landscape painter, Eugène Boudin was one of the first artists to paint outside of a studio. The son of a sailor, he retained a fascination with the sea, which inspired some of his most beautiful paintings. On the coast of his native Normandy, he enjoyed depicting the pleasures of the Parisian bourgeoisie who frequented the emerging seaside resorts. His true quest, however, remained light and its infinite variations. A friend of Baudelaire and Monet, he took part in the first exhibition of the Impressionist group in 1874. However, he refused to consider himself one of them, preferring to retain his freedom. He left behind a body of work comprising 4,500 paintings and 7,000 drawings, making him a precursor of modern painting.
