The beach

Step onto a 19th century French beach with this charming scene by Eugène Boudin, painted around 1860. Fashionable men and women gather on the sand, shaded by colorful parasols, their crinoline skirts spread wide as they chat and watch the sea. Notice the donkeys waiting on the left and the wide, moody sky that takes up nearly two thirds of the canvas. For Boudin, the sky was always the star of the show, and he filled it with soft grays and hints of blue that capture the changeable weather of the Normandy coast.

Boudin had a special talent for painting these seaside crowds, and the well dressed tourists who flocked to beaches like Trouville and Deauville became one of his favorite subjects. He worked outdoors, directly from nature, which was still a fairly new idea at the time. This approach made him an important link to the Impressionists who came soon after. In fact, Boudin was a mentor to a young Claude Monet and encouraged him to paint outside, helping shape one of the most famous movements in art history.

Take a moment to enjoy the lively dabs of paint that bring the figures to life. Nobody seems posed or stiff, just enjoying a breezy day by the water. It is a simple, honest glimpse of leisure that feels surprisingly modern, even more than a century and a half later.