Honfleur. La Jetee 

Eugène Boudin painted "Honfleur. La Jetée" using oil on panel. It captures a slice of life from the burgeoning tourist industry in the coastal town of Honfleur. Boudin’s paintings often included the leisure activities of the growing middle class. This work gives us insight into the social dynamics of the time; it prompts us to consider who had the means and the time for leisure, and who did not. What did it mean to have the privilege to seek pleasure, and what were the hidden costs for those who served this privilege? Boudin once said his goal was to capture "the fleeting moment", and indeed, here we see not just a port, but a moment in the lives of people who may have been seeking pleasure. Ultimately, "Honfleur. La Jetée" encourages us to reflect on the ways in which leisure and labor intersect. It's a moment of transient beauty that rests upon a complex web of social and economic relationships.