Skiffs on the Yerres, 1871 by Gustave Caillebotte
(1848-1894) The Yerres, where Gustave Caillebotte discovered his enthusiasm for boating, is a small, quiet tributary of the Seine. Canoes ofthe type shown here, propelled by two-bladed kayak paddles, were well suited to the shallow waters ofthe river, but were difficult to handle and capsized easily.
Harbors and Coasts Impressionist artists embraced the opportunity to apply their new techniques and approaches, as well as unusual perspectives and vantage points, to the protected harbors and rugged coastlines of France. Their choices for subject matter-from fishing boars to freighters, smokestacks and factories-were frequently industrial and seemingly prosaic, often presented w ith a gritty realism in matter-of-fact fashio n .
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Harbor at Bordeaux, 1874 by Eugene Boudin (1824-1898) Boudin was the son ofa shipwright, and grandson ofa fisherman who died at sea. As a young man he opened a ftame shop in Le H avre, where he met visiting artists. Around 1856 he met and became the teacher ofyoung Claude Monet, who credited Boudin as a formative influence. Boudin's close observation of scenes ftom life, flurries of brush strokes, and brilliant highlights relate directly to Impressionist practices. In 1874, Monet and a group ofyounger artists invited Boudin to participate in what would be the first Impressionist exhibition.
SEA HISTORY 145, WINTER 2013- 14
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