$82,550
Estimate: $50,000 - $80,000
What Do You See? The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Part I
Auction: February 27, 2024 at 12 PM ET
Signed and dated ‘E. Boudin ’73' bottom left, oil on canvas
12 ¾ x 18 ¼ in. (32.4 x 46.4cm)
Collection Jonte, Paris.
His Sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, sale of April 24, 1880, lot 7.
Private Collection.
Sotheby's, London, sale of December 3, 1991, lot 14B.
Acquired directly from the above sale.
Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Robert Schmit, Catalogue Raisonné de L’Œuvre Peint d'Eugène Boudin, Galerie Schmit, Paris, 1973, Vol. I, no. 867, p. 307 (illustrated).
A significant proportion of Boudin’s paintings explore the ports and harbors of northwestern France, where he
was born, died, and spend a large part of his career. Executed in 1873, Port en Bretagne is likely a view of Portrieux (now Saint-Quay-Portrieux), a village Boudin visited countless times between 1855 and 1897. While arguably better known for his depictions of Deauville, Trouville-sur-Mer, and Le Havre, in neighboring Normandy, Boudin devoted special attention to picturesque Brittany, once lamenting: “I discovered this place too late...[it] is everything I ever could have dreamed of.”
Boudin’s fascination (and intimate familiarity) with ships extended beyond mere representation; it delved into the atmospheric conditions that enveloped them. In Port en Bretagne, Boudin skillfully renders the transient effects of sunlight filtering through clouds, which cast reflections on the water’s surface before dissolving on the horizon. The interplay between light and color evokes a sense of movement and energy–in contrast to the anchored vessels. What one might expect to witness–fishermen mending nets, sailors preparing their cargo, or locals observing ships’ comings and goings–are largely absent from the present work. Rather, Boudin offers a portrait of his beloved Brittany, unpeopled and tranquil–a mediation on the timeless dialogue between ship and sea.