Eugène Boudin

Boussod-Valadon & Cie, Paris
Penfield Collection, New York
Frank E. Beebe, New York (and sold: American Art Association-Anderson Galleries, New York, May 17, 1934, lot 97)
Alice & Andrew Fiske, New York
Elisabeth Williamson, Maryland (a gift from the above in 1973)
Thence by descent 

Robert Schmit, Eugène Boudin, 1824-1898, vol. III, Paris, 1973, no. 3216, illustrated p. 235

This work is in very good condition. The canvas is strip-lined. There is minor frame abrasion visible at the extreme right and left edges. The surface may be very slightly dirty. Under UV light there are a few small retouches and one dime-sized restoration around the upper right corner, a few spots along the right edge and a few spots in the sky - one above the central figure and another towards the upper left corner.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Born in Honfleur and the son of a sailor, Boudin was drawn to the ports and coastline of northern France. The artist's practice of painting largely en plein air, though often finishing his paintings in the studio, enabled him to endow his works with an energetic immediacy and freshness. As Boudin inscribed in one his notebooks, “Beaches. Produce them from nature as far as is possible... things done on the spot or based on a very recent impression can be considered as direct paintings” (quoted in Gustave Cahen, Eugène Boudin, Sa vie et son oeuvre, Paris, 1900, p. 183). Boudin's art was an important source of inspiration for the next generation of artists, particularly the Impressionists. He was both a friend and mentor of Claude Monet, and is credited with having first shown him the importance of painting in the open air. 

Le Seine à Quillebeuf is a wonderful example of Boudin’s impressively atmospheric skies that were much admired during his lifetime. In the present work, Boudin charmingly captures the port town of Quillebeuf not far from his native Honfleur.