1875
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Loading the Boats is a 1875 graphite by Eugène Boudin, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a busy dock by the water. A big sailboat looms over small boats packed with people. Some folks stand, others sit on the shore. The water is calm, the sky light. Everything looks rough and quick—like the artist dashed it off fast. Notice how the colors are soft and blended. The artist didn’t fuss over details. The people wear simple clothes, and the boats look real but not perfect. Check out watercolor next to see how artists mix paint and water for loose, sketchy effects.
Eugène Louis Boudin (French: ; 12 July 1824 – 8 August 1898) was one of the first French landscape painters to paint outdoors.
See the richer artist page
