Port d'Honfleur

Eugene Boudin spent most of his long career in Le Havre, where he came into contact with many landscape artists who inspired and encouraged him to paint. A substantial amount of his work, predominantly seascapes and coastal scenes, derived from either this locality or from his native town of Honfleur. The essence of Boudin's style was to capture the fleeting qualities of nature: the effervescent colours in the sky, the constant movement of the sea and the changing patterns of the land. He is often described as a pre-Impressionist because of these characteristics. He became an important influence on the early work of Monet and took part in the first Impressionist group exhibition in 1874. This is one of two paintings donated by Norah Davidson and they are both are fine examples of Boudin's delicate use of a tonal palette and display many of his characteristics.