Boudin, Crinolines and Cabins

Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898), Crinolines and Cabins, 1865, black pencil, graphite and watercolour on laid paper, 16.7 x 23.7 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / Charles Maslard
Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898)
Crinolines and Cabins
1865
black pencil, graphite and watercolour on laid paper
16.7 x 23.7 cm
© MuMa Le Havre / Charles Maslard
HD image
In 1860, Eugène Boudin (1824–1898) found success with his beach scenes, which were highly appreciated by the Parisian bourgeoisie and tourists to the Normandy coastal resorts. As he prepared large paintings for the Salon, the artist made numerous drawn studies heightened with watercolour and sometimes annotated. But Boudin also knew he could easily appeal to a public fond of such scenes and created watercolours as works in their own right.

This watercolour sketch, captured first hand, evokes the Normandy seashore society. It depicts nannies or governesses in red and black uniforms, watching over the children in their care, little girls sitting playing in the sand. In an effort to capture the extreme mobility of his subject, Boudin began by sketching the scene with a few quick strokes of black pencil and graphite, followed by a very fluid application of watercolour. The tightly constructed composition, with the vertical lines of the cabins and standing figures responding to the horizontal lines of the beach and sea, makes for a well-crafted work of art.

Artworks in context : Eugène Boudin (8)

Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898), Pardon of Ste-Anne-La-Palud, 1858, oil on canvas, 87 x 146.5 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / Florian Kleinefenn
Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898), Study of Clouds, Blue Sky, ca. 1888-1895, oil on wood, 37 x 46 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / David Fogel
Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898), Lady in White on the Beach at Trouville, 1869, oil on board, 31.4 x 48.6 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / Florian Kleinefenn
Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898), Crinolines and Cabins, 1865, black pencil, graphite and watercolour on laid paper, 16.7 x 23.7 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / Charles Maslard
Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898), Studies of Cows, ca. 1881-1888, oil on canvas, 43.1 x 69 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / David Fogel
Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898), Boats and Breakwater, 1890-1897, oil on canvas, 40 x 55 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / Florian Kleinefenn
Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898), Still Life with Squash, ca. 1854-1860, oil on canvas, 56.5 x 83 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / Florian Kleinefenn
Eugène BOUDIN (1824-1898), Sky, Setting Sun, Bushes in Foreground, ca. 1848-1853, oil on paper, 11 x 19.5 cm. © MuMa Le Havre / Florian Kleinefenn