The Boardwalk at Trouville 1870

Claude Monet painted "The Boardwalk at Trouville" as an oil on canvas during a time of significant social and cultural shifts in France. Painted in the late 19th century, this canvas depicts a fashionable seaside resort. The painting offers us a window into the leisure activities of the bourgeoisie, a rising class in French society at that time. We can see the figures strolling along the boardwalk, shielded from the sun by parasols, and the architecture of the buildings with French flags gives us an understanding of the setting. Monet’s choice of subject reveals the changing dynamics of leisure and class in 19th-century France. The quick, loose brushstrokes of Impressionism mirror the fleeting, transient nature of modern life. In this painting, Monet captures a specific moment in time and offers a glimpse into the social and cultural world of 19th-century France, including the way that leisure and privilege were experienced during this transformative period.