I am a loner, a daydreamer who has been content to remain in his part of the world and look at the sky.
~Eugene Boudin~
The Shore At Deauville / Oils / 1891
Boudin was a busy artist indeed; he produced nearly 4000 oil paintings and over 7000 drawings in watercolours and pastels.
His explanation for all this was: 'I could work less, but then what would I do in between? I would get bored. My only pleasure is painting.'
He was born in 1824 in Honfleur, by the estuary of the Seine, thus he had a lifelong love of the sea.
He spent much of his life painting the Normandy coast. The majority of his works are scenes of harbours, beaches and coasts. He tried to capture the true play of the light upon the water.
A signature of his work is his brushwork that is more than lively. He looks like he completed them in the outdoors on the spot.
Boudin described his contribution to Impressionism as 'I will perhaps have had a tiny share of the influence in the movement that is taking painting towards the study of daylight, the open air, and honesty in representing the sky.'
Claude Monet was carried further with his talent than Boudin ever was, but he still owes a little something to Boudin.
Bathers On The Beach At Trouville / Oils / 1869