Artwork
On the Beach, Trouville
On the Beach, Trouville is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Eugène Louis Boudin. It dates from 1887 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: E. Boudin; lower right: Tll. [Trouville] 87
About this work
Technique & Style
The use of a rigid panel rather than canvas suggests a approach suited for capturing immediate impressions of light and atmosphere on a small, portable surface.
Executed in 1887, this work is an oil painting applied to a wood panel support. The artist utilized oil paint as the primary medium to render the coastal scene. The composition measures 18.4 cm in height and 32.7 cm in width, reflecting the intimate scale characteristic of Boudin's studies of Trouville.
The use of a rigid panel rather than canvas suggests a approach suited for capturing immediate impressions of light and atmosphere on a small, portable surface.
History & Provenance
Boudin painted On the Beach, Trouville in 1887, creating an oil on wood panel work that entered the Parisian market via Hector Brame [1831-1899]. It was sold by Tedesco Frères on 3 June 1926 to Chester Dale, who later bequeathed it to the National Gallery of Art in 1963.
The painting remains in the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington, D.C., where it is catalogued with dimensions of 18.4 cm by 32.7 cm.
The painting was owned by the Paris dealer Hector Brame before being sold 3 June 1926 to Chester Dale and subsequently to Tedesco Frères. It entered the National Gallery of Art collection by bequest in 1963. The work has been exhibited in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., as documented in its curatorial records.
Overview
Eugène Boudin’s 1887 work On the Beach, Trouville is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel. The composition presents a seaside scene on the Normandy coast, depicting two women in long dresses seated on the sand, one shading herself with a parasol while the other gazes toward the sea under a clear sky dotted with soft, white clouds.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a moment of leisurely coastal recreation, emphasizing the interaction between figures and the expansive maritime environment. Boudin’s focus lies less on narrative detail and more on the atmosphere of a tranquil beach day, inviting viewers to sense the calm and openness of the shoreline.
Context
On the Beach, Trouville belongs to a series of coastal works Boudin produced while frequenting the Normandy seaside resorts, a popular destination for Parisian leisure in the late nineteenth century. The piece reflects broader artistic interests of the era in depicting modern life and the transient effects of light on everyday subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Eugène Louis Boudin (French: ; 12 July 1824 – 8 August 1898) was one of the first French landscape painters to paint outdoors.
