Monet's Mentor Was the 'King of the Sky'! Impressions and Highlights of the 'Eugène Boudin Exhibition' at the Matsumoto City Museum of Art

Hello!
This is Mocchy.

On Sunday, July 12th, I went to the 'Eugène Boudin Exhibition: Aesthetics of the Moment, Exploration of Light' currently being held at my local Matsumoto City Museum of Art.
Wow! July 12th is actually Boudin's birthday. What a coincidence!!

The long-awaited Matsumoto traveling exhibition

I knew this exhibition was being held at the SOMPO Museum of Art in Tokyo, but I never imagined it would come to Matsumoto, so when I found out in April, I let out a shout of joy.
Since then, I had been eagerly awaiting the opening, so I decided to go on the first Sunday after it started.

My second daughter also wanted to go after seeing the poster of a painting with the sun setting into the sea, so we both went wearing light blue blouses, which we decided were 'Boudin colors'.

It's the first Sunday, but it's not crowded at all

We arrived just after 10:00 AM.
I had expected it to be crowded, but although there were a fair number of visitors, there was plenty of space.

I was able to take my time and carefully appreciate each painting, and as always, it was truly comfortable! No stress!
Ah, this is why I love local museums. Plus, since it's local, I don't have to worry about the time for the Azusa train back like I do in Tokyo, which makes me happy.

Who was Eugène Boudin?

I first learned of Boudin primarily as Monet's mentor.
Whenever I visit a Monet exhibition, read a catalog, or research Monet, I always come across Boudin.

The fact that he taught 17 or 18-year-old Monet to paint outdoors is enough to make Boudin incredibly precious!! Just imagining that scene makes my heart race.
It seems Monet held a sense of respect and love for Boudin throughout his life, which is so heartwarming...

Then, as usual, I watched the Boudin episode of Goro Yamada's 'Adult Liberal Arts Course' on YouTube. I learned that what Boudin taught Monet wasn't just outdoor painting, but perhaps also the technique of leaving brushstrokes, which is a characteristic of Impressionism. I also learned that although Boudin is famous for his seascapes, he actually spent his life painting the sky, which made me suddenly very interested.

And as for this exhibition

As the first retrospective of Boudin in Japan in about 30 years, the exhibition was structured to show the full picture of Boudin as a 'painter of light who pursued the moment' through works of various subjects, not just as 'Monet's mentor,' 'pioneer of Impressionism,' and 'king of the sky'.

The works were not displayed chronologically, but were divided into themes such as seascapes, sky, landscapes, architecture, animals, figures, drawings, and prints, so I was surprised by the diversity of Boudin's work and was able to understand and appreciate its characteristics and charm well.

By the way, photography was allowed for the first half and the very last piece.

Below are my impressions after seeing the actual works.

A masterpiece of sea and sky

The first things that greeted us were many of Boudin's characteristic paintings of the sea and sky.
They are clear landscapes that seem to convey the light and air of the place itself.
It really is true that about three-quarters of the canvas is sky.

According to the caption, even when Boudin painted stormy skies, he never omitted the blue tones that represent the light of hope.

Indeed, when I look at the clear blue sky in the paintings, I feel refreshed, and a faint sense of hope is conveyed.

(The works introduced below were in a no-photography area, so there are no photos.)

Surprised by the Skill of the Sketches

Many sketches of forest trees, ships, and people were on display. All of them had such soft lines—they were truly skillful! (Forgive me, I lack the vocabulary to describe it better.)

In particular, there were many rough yet charming sketches depicting the natural movements and postures of people.
Looking at the sketches, it is clear that Boudin drew them in an attempt to capture that very moment.

Landscapes Other Than the Sea Are Also Wonderful

Influenced by the Barbizon school painters, Boudin also painted many landscapes other than seascapes.

The Path at Cordier, Trouville—in this work, the green of the grove was lush and full of vitality, which was wonderful.
The areas where the sun hits in the background shine with a whitish glow.
Also, despite the rough brushwork, the dog and the mother and child had a presence and warmth that were magnificent.

Additionally, three works from a series he painted during a trip to Venice in his later years were displayed side by side; although small, they were filled with the dazzling light of Venice, making them exceptionally vivid and heart-stirring paintings.

Birds, Cows, and Even Fish Are Skillfully Painted!

Boudin was also skilled at painting animals.

Still Life with Partridge and Coffee Mill—in this piece, the ruffled texture of the partridge's feathers is magnificent. It was a style reminiscent of Chardin.

Also, it seems Boudin was an acquaintance of Troyon, who is famous for his cows.
Troyon's cows have an image of being dignified with glossy coats, but Boudin's cows were somehow graceful and calm, and even looked a little bit delicate, which was interesting.

Then, inStill Life with Fish, Ray, and Thornback Rayhe depicts dead fish, and as a former sailor, the slimy, limp texture was very realistic.

The Portraits of Women Were Impressionistic

The portraits of women had a rough brushwork that felt like Impressionism itself.

Portrait of a Young Woman—the rough brushwork and use of color felt similar to Morisot, and it was such a wonderful painting that I wanted to take it home and display it.

After finishing the viewing

After seeing it to the end, my second daughter and I agreed, 'That was great! We could even come back again!'

First of all, I was surprised by how many subjects other than seascapes Boudin painted, and how skillful he was at them.

And while he was skilled at landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, his paintings of the sea and sky were, by far, the most fresh, refreshing, and exquisite.

We in the modern era are so accustomed to Monet's light-filled paintings that we might see earlier painters through the lens of Monet, which perhaps causes Boudin to fade into the background.

However, Monet's paintings would not have existed without Boudin. Seeing so many of Boudin's paintings filled with clear skies, moving clouds, and light across the entire canvas, I felt that his achievement and innovation in capturing the raw, outdoor scenery along with a fleeting moment of light were truly great and paved the way for Monet and the Impressionists.
(Or rather, many of the works were already deeply Impressionistic.)

There are various delicious-looking goods

Now then.
After viewing the exhibition, I headed to the museum shop, which I was looking forward to.

I bought the exhibition catalog and postcards in the special exhibition corner.
There were many seascape postcards, and they were all so wonderful that I had a hard time choosing.
It was a shame they didn't have standard bookmarks or notebooks!
I wish they had a wider variety of goods...

I was surprised to find food items like cookies, mustard, and caramel, inspired by the Normandy region of France.

They even had French pastry and cooking recipe books, and since the photos looked so delicious, my second daughter begged me to buy one, so I did!
I feel like it doesn't have much to do with Boudin, but oh well.

By the way, the Matsumoto City Museum of Art's museum shop is a small space, but it's fun and full of cute? Yayoi Kusama goods, craft-like accessories and objects, and interesting-looking art books!

There are also many art goods for children, and when my daughters were small, they often begged me for things like multi-colored pencils or flipbooks.

I want to go again

Thanks to Boudin's clear and refreshing paintings, even though the rainy season hadn't ended yet and it was humid, I felt as if a cool breeze had blown through my heart.

I want to go again.

Oh, that's right!
I couldn't go this time, but it seemed like the museum cafe was serving desserts inspired by the Boudin exhibition!
I guess I have to go again...

For those planning to go

One last word!

Perhaps for the preservation of the works, the air conditioning in the exhibition room was set quite low, and it was cold enough that short sleeves weren't enough.
I regretted a little that I hadn't brought a light jacket to wear while viewing.
Just for your reference.

Thank you for reading until the end.