Coast of Brittany

Eugène Boudin

National Gallery of Art

The painting depicts a seascape. The horizon is visible in the bottom third of the composition, with several ships floating on the water, including a large sailing ship to the left of center. In the distance on the right, there is a tan and green coastline with hints of buildings that extend towards the center of the painting. Another distant coastline is visible on the left, painted in dark gray. The water closest to us is in greenish-blue tones with areas of white suggesting choppy waves, while a rocky outcrop in the bottom right corner is depicted in earthy brown hues. The sky takes up the upper two-thirds of the painting, and it is light blue and covered in thick white and gray clouds.