On the Beach

1894

Eugène Boudin

Associated Names
Eugène Boudin

Artist, French, 1824 - 1898

This painting shows a beach scene with people gathered on the sandy shore, facing away from us, looking towards the water. The horizon is in the center of the image, with the pale green-blue sea meeting the slightly darker blue sky. A white sailboat is visible in the distance. Closer to us, people are seen sitting or standing on the tan sand, some under a striped red-and-white canopy or sitting on brown chairs. The people are depicted with minimal detail, composed of streaks of paint that suggest dresses in shades of gray, white, yellow, and black, and hats in shades of black, white, yellow, and red. They appear to be mostly women and children with light skin. The brushwork is loose and visible, with thick strokes of different colors overlapping and blending, giving the scene a hazy and blurred appearance. The sand contains short horizontal streaks of red, brown, tan, and yellow, while the sky and sea have many shades of blue, gray, and white. A line of text has been written in black at the bottom of the painting.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on wood

  • Credit Line

    Chester Dale Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 13.9 x 23.9 cm (5 1/2 x 9 7/16 in.)
    framed: 32 x 40.6 cm (12 5/8 x 16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1963.10.6


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Possibly Mme. Gilberte Fleury, Paris. Possibly Guy Stein, Paris.[1] (Galerie Rosengart, Lucerne); sold 6 June 1951 to Chester Dale [1883-1962], New York;[2] bequest 1963 to NGA.
[1]Fleury and Stein according to Robert Schmidt, Eugène Boudin 1824-1898, volume III, Paris 1973, no. 3254. [2]See letter from Galerie Rosengart dated 29 October 1951 in NGA curatorial files.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1965

  • The Chester Dale Bequest, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1965, unnumbered checklist.

1989

  • Paintings by Eugène Boudin from the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1989, no cat.

2007

  • Eugène Boudin at the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2007, no cat.

Bibliography

1965

  • Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Paintings & Sculpture of the French School in the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 64, repro.

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 18.

1968

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 11, repro.

1975

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 40, repro.

1985

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 60, repro.

Inscriptions

across bottom: E. Boudin. 94 a Mm Gilberte Fleury.

Wikidata ID

Q20190432

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