Eugène Boudin

Henri Rouart, Paris (sale: Hotel Drouot, Paris, Collection Henri Rouart, 21^st April 1913, lot 13)
Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris (purchased at the above sale)
Galerie Paul Rosenberg, Paris
Henri Bernstein, Paris
Private Collection

Istanbul, Portakal House, Masters of the West, 2004-05, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Robert Schmit, Eugène Boudin, 1824-1898, Paris, 1973, vol. I, no. 500, illustrated p. 186 

Executed on card laid down on canvas. There are some scattered pinhead-sized spots of retouching running down the centre of the left edge and a 3cm. line of retouching to the centre of the lower edge. Apart from 3 spots of retouching to the sky, a couple of small spots of retouching to the upper right edge and 2 spots to the sky in the upper centre, this work is in good condition. Colours: The colours are much richer in the original, with the blue of the sky much deeper than in the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Having settled in Paris after his marriage in 1863, throughout the 1860s and 1870s Boudin travelled to the coast every summer, and the picturesque spectacle of elegant society figures at leisure became a staple of his art.  The artist particularly focused on depicting the contrast between the densely grouped men and women in the foreground and the expanses of the sky behind. Boudin's interest in capturing the fleeting effects of sunlight on sumptuous fabrics and the effect of a windy day on the flowing garments was to have a profound influence on Impressionist artists. As Jean Selz wrote: 'What fascinated Boudin at Trouville and Deauville was not so much the sea and ships but the groups of people sitting on the sand or strolling along the beach: fine ladies in crinolines twirling their parasols, pompous gentlemen in top hats, children and little dogs playing on the sand. In the harmony of the colours of the elegant clothes he found a contrast to the delicacy of the skies' (J. Selz, Eugène Boudin, New York, 1982, p. 57).