Women on the Beach at Berck
1881
Medium
oil on wood
Dimensions
overall: 24.8 x 36.2 cm (9 3/4 x 14 1/4 in.) framed: 41.6 x 52.4 x 5.2 cm (16 3/8 x 20 5/8 x 2 1/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection
Accession Number
1970.17.15
Art Historical Context
**Women on the Beach at Ber** (1881) by Eugène Boudin invites visitors into a serene snapshot of seaside leisure on the northern French coast. This intimate oil painting on wood, measuring just 24.8 x 36.2 cm, elegant women strolling along the beach at Berck-sur-Mer, a popular resort town. Boudin, a pioneering French artist, specialized in marine landscapes, often depicting the changing light and fleeting moments of beachgoers against vast skies and seas. Painted en plein air during the late 19th century, the work reflects Boudin's role as a precursor to Impressionism. His fluid brushstrokes ...
About the Artist
Eugène Boudin · 1824–1898
Eugène Louis Boudin was born on July 12, 1824, in Honfleur, Normandy, the son of a harbor pilot. When his family relocated to Le Havre, his father opened a stationery and picture-framing shop, and it was there that the young Boudin first encountered working artists. Artists such as Constant Troyon and Jean-François Millet recognized his talent and urged him toward a career in art. In 1850, a munic...