Eugène BOUDIN - Mathurins, c. 1897 - Lithograph

Eugène Boudin : Born in Honfleur in 1824, Eugène-Louis Boudin, was a french painter. He was one of the first french painters to paint landscapes directly from the outside. He is considered as one of the precursors of impressionism. Boudin followed the path marked out by John Constable, he was a great admirer of Corot and Diaz. Pioneer of the outdoor painting, he realized outdoor scenes from life with a strong preference for seasides. In 1850 he recieved a scolarship from the city of Le Havre allowing him to continue to study in Paris during 3 years. He joined Eugène Isabey's workshop and enrolled in The Louvre. A first exhibition was dedicated to him in Paris in 1857. Two years later he exhibited his first painting at The Salon de Paris. He received praise from the poet Charles Baudelaire and became friends with Gustave Courbet. At this time, the painter initiated Claude Monet to outdoor painting. In 1889, he obtained the golden medal at The Exposition universelle of Paris and enjoyed great success. The artist died in Deauville in 1898.