Beach Near Trouville

In the painting Beach Near Trouville (1864) by Eugène Boudin, Boudin uses formal techniques and artistic principles that enhance the painting as well as exemplify the period of Impressionism. These techniques and elements include but are not limited to colour, composition, texture, contrast, and lighting. Boudin's use of these formal techniques leave a lasting impression on the viewer of the painting. He was also able to successfully reflect many of the Impressionism movement's key elements.

Eugène Boudin used a large variety of colours in Beach Near Trouville. He used a mixture of cool tones, warm tones, and neutrals. Despite the large variety and the contrast of these different colours, they all work together to form a colour composition

that is pleasing to the eye. First and foremost, The sky is made up of cool toned blues, yet the blue tones are mixed with pale neutral colours in order to give the sky more dimension. It is this mixture of colours that gives the sky more of a realistic feel. Since the sky takes up so much space on the canvas, by having a mixture of colours as opposed to just a solid blue, Boudin was able to give the background of his painting a more dynamic look. Behind the crowd of people are grey tents, and underneath the crowd is shadowy beige sand. The people also sit on beige chairs. Grey and beige are two dull, uninteresting colours. They are not very eye-catching or particularly pleasing to the eye. In contrast, the people are clothed in vibrant and eye-catching colours. The colours of the clothing range from warm tones, to cool tones, to bright whites and rich blacks and browns. The composition of all of these colours come together to form a stimulating focal point. The people are further highlighted by the portrayal of sunlight, which makes some parts of the painting even brighter and richer in colour. Compared to the background of the image, the contrast of the colours that the people are wearing is so severe and so effective, and one's eyes are immediately drawn to the group of people when looking at this particular painting.
The composition of Beach Near Trouville is quite striking, and Eugène Boudin's use of contrast in his composition makes for a dynamic piece of art. There is a large amount of open and empty space at the top of the painting (where the sky is depicted), which is juxtaposed with the crowded group of people standing on the sand near the bottom of the painting. Overall, the composition of the painting is a very stage-like composition. The action, or the main subject, is at the forefront of the painting and it is just about centered. The background is fairly plain and does not overshadow the focal point. The clear, open sky also gives the painting a sublime look - a theme more common to Romanticism but also prevalent among many Impressionist pieces. A cloudier sky or a busy sky would not give the painting the same effect, and would have taken some attention from the focal point of the piece (the crowd of people). The clear sky is very simple and picturesque, and ultimately draws more attention to the focal point. The large crowd of people undoubtedly draws the most attention due to the composition of the image. It stands out from the sky and the sand because it is so different and so detailed. It is busy, bright, and almost chaotic when compared to the calm composition of the skyline. These two parts of the painting are so drastically different, but work together harmoniously to form a beautiful composition.
The different ways Eugène Boudin applied the paint in various areas of this painting has a large impact on how one views the piece.

Beach Near Trouville is a painterly style of work, as opposed to a linear one. There are not very many harsh lines separating one thing from another. There are a few lines to properly separate certain objects from the background, but even so, the lines are not harsh, nor do they look particularly unnatural. Many of the subjects of the painting seem to flow and fit together very naturally due to Boudin's use of loose brushstrokes. The sky and the sand both have a realistic feel to them since the brushstrokes Boudin used were so natural. An interesting aspect of this piece is how Boudin was able to create texture to draw focus to different places. For example, Boudin uses heavier strokes on the people and their outfits, and because of this, he puts emphasis on them and they stand out as the focal point of the painting. The people are also essentially faceless, but despite this fact, the way Boudin applied his paint still makes them stand out apart from the other elements in the painting. The people are not only colourful and vibrant, but the difference in the thickness of paint draws the eyes of the viewers directly to the crowd of people. The brushstrokes are heaviest on the people, and only on the people. The rest of the painting was done with lighter, more subtle brushstrokes. The sky and the rest of the background have a much neater feel in comparison to the group of people because of the way Boudin layered the paint in each respective

area.
Boudin's portrayal of lighting in this painting is very specific. It is shown to be coming from the left corner of the scene. A notable quality of Impressionism is the artist's interest in the play of light in their works. Many Impressionist pieces focus on how light affects the scene or the subject they are trying to depict, as opposed to the scene or the subject itself. Eugène Boudin's Beach Near Trouville is an excellent example of this technique. Boudin painted the scene as if the light was coming from the left side, and therefore the right side of the canvas is much brighter than the left side. The left side is darker and shadowy because it is slightly behind and under the light, as opposed to the right side, which is in direct sunlight. Once again, this draws the eye of the viewer towards the crowd of people, as they are highlighted so perfectly by the illusion of sunlight, and therefore appear to be the main focus. The left side of the crowd is darker, and less focus is drawn to them as opposed to the right side, but Boudin also reflected this in their clothing. The people most highlighted by the sunlight are mostly clothed in bright colours that are enhanced by the look of sunlight. In contrast, the people sitting in the shadows are mostly clothed in darker colours that almost blend into the shadows and do not catch the eye the same way a bright red does. The brightest part of the image stands out as the focus, and is what the viewer is immediately drawn to when looking at the piece. Boudin's ability to draw focus by simply portraying sunlight is extremely effective and prevalent in this painting.
In conclusion, as discussed throughout this essay, by using artistic principles and formal techniques such as colour, composition, texture, contrast, and lighting, Eugène Boudin created Beach Near Trouville (1864), a detailed and dynamic painting. Not only did Boudin manage to create an impactful piece of art, but he also created a piece that exemplified the Impressionism movement.