Crinolines on the Beach
c. 1865
Eugène Boudin, a precursor to Impressionism and mentor to Monet, was obsessed with capturing the fashionable crowds at French beaches. In this lively sketch, we see the 'crinolines' of the title—those massive, bell-shaped hoop skirts that were all the rage in the 1860s—dominating the scene like walking tents. The loose, rapid strokes suggest Boudin was working quickly, trying to freeze a fleeting moment of high-society leisure before the wind changed or the models moved. It’s a charming, candid look at 19th-century vacationing, where the beach was less about swimming and more about strutting your stuff.
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