Trouville, les jetées, marée basse 1885

Eugène Boudin painted this oil on canvas, titled "Trouville, les jetées, marée basse"– or "Trouville, the jetties, low tide" – in 1885. Boudin specialized in seascapes, and here we see the port of Trouville in northern France. At this time, Trouville was transforming from a small fishing village into a fashionable seaside resort, due to the rise of tourism enabled by the expansion of the railways. This painting therefore participates in a visual culture associated with leisure and the commercialization of nature. Yet we see the working boats still moored in the harbor, suggesting that the artist is interested in representing a traditional way of life, even as it becomes something new. The fishing industry in France was at the center of debates about national identity, class, and the politics of labor. Boudin’s painting might then be seen as a comment on these social structures. To find out more, one can investigate the economic history of fishing in France. The social context of this seemingly simple painting opens up a wealth of possibilities.