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Harbor of Brest


Eugène Louis Boudin, Harbor of Brest, 1870, oil on canvas, Bequest of Charles Francis Adams, public domain, 43.8.1

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Details
Title

Harbor of Brest

Artist

Eugène Louis Boudin (French, 1824-1898)

Date

1870

Period

Impressionist

Medium

oil on canvas

Dimensions (H x W x D)

display: 18 1/2 in x 26 in x 3/4 in

Inscriptions & Markings

signature; date: E. Boudin 70, brushed, lower left

Collection Area

European Art

Category

Paintings

Object Type

painting

Culture

French

Credit Line

Bequest of Charles Francis Adams

Accession Number

43.8.1

Copyright

public domain

Terms

canvas

Impressionist

marines

oil paint

oil paintings

paintings

Description

Eugène Boudin devoted his life to painting scenes of the ocean, harbors, and coastal towns of Brittany and Normandy. These works recorded the socio-economic shift of these towns from fishing to tourism, and were popular as souvenirs with French and British clients. In works such as Harbor of Brest, Boudin demonstrates his interest in the gradations of light seen in the coastal sky. He considered his spontaneous paintings finished—more powerful and immediate—than compositions labored over in the studio. As Claude Monet's first teacher, Boudin had a profound influence on the young artist, encouraging him to study nature and to paint out of doors. Monet, himself, later wrote: "It was like the rending of a veil...I grasped what painting could be...If I have indeed become a painter, I owe it to Eugène Boudin."

History
Exhibitions

1942 Fiftieth Anniversary Exhibition: 1892-1942 Portland Art Museum

1980 The Phillips Taste in Portland Portland Art Museum

1998 Essay on Impressionism Portland Art Museum

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