Coast of Brittany

Eugène Boudin painted this coastal scene in 1870, showing the rocky shore of Brittany with sailing ships gliding across calm water. A small town sits faintly in the distance, tucked along the coastline where land meets sea. Boudin spent much of his life along the beaches and harbors of France, drawn again and again to the ever changing weather and the light bouncing off the water. His work helped open the door to Impressionism, and he famously encouraged a young Claude Monet to leave the studio and paint outdoors, a piece of advice that would change art history.

The sky dominates this canvas, filling nearly two thirds of the composition with soft, drifting clouds. Boudin's fellow painters admired his ability to capture the heavens so well that they called him the "king of skies," and it is easy to see why. His loose brushstrokes and gentle, muted tones give the whole scene a breezy, unhurried mood. Instead of chasing dramatic effects, Boudin was happy simply to record the plain beauty of an ordinary day by the coast, honest and true to the passing moment.