Washerwomen on the Beach of Etretat

Eugène Boudin

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a coastal scene with a rocky tan cliff on the left side extending down to the blue sea. The horizon is in the middle of the painting, with a bright, slightly cloudy blue sky above the sea. On the beach, a chaotic collection of dots and dashes of paint in white, black, blue, red, yellow, and pink indicate a large group of people gathered at the edge of the water. Many of the people appear to have white caps or bonnets on their heads. Behind the group of people, more smears of color suggest bundles on the beach, perhaps piles of cloth. Small gray and white boats drift on the water in the distance. The painting style is loose and expressive, with lines of color overlapping with one another. Details are suggested with dots and dashes of paint instead of being depicted clearly.