Seascape with Open Sky
1860
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1860
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a wide, windy sky over choppy water, with a few tiny boats and a strip of pale beach. Boudin painted this outside, right on the coast. He used pastels—soft, chalky sticks—because they were easy to carry and let him catch the light before it changed. This was rare at the time; most artists worked in studios. Look up *impasto* next to see how other painters built thick, textured skies.
