The Port of Trouville, Low Tide 1897

Eugène Boudin made this oil on canvas painting of "The Port of Trouville, Low Tide" sometime in the late 19th century. Boudin's image captures a moment in the transformation of the French coastline. Here, the beach is not just a site of labor, but also a place of leisure, with day trippers from Paris arriving via the new railways to enjoy the sea air. Note how the fashionable buildings of the town form a backdrop to the scene. Boudin is consciously documenting the rise of tourism and the changing social landscape of France. The composition reflects these social changes. The low vantage point and loose brushstrokes give an immediacy to the scene. This was a period of great change, and the art world was changing with it. To fully understand Boudin's work, we can look at periodicals from the time and records of the changing demographics of seaside towns like Trouville. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.