#proto-impressionism

Frank Buchser - A sacred Nook in Virginia, 1867

Oil on canvas.

French beach, 1860s. The women sit in black dresses under parasols, not to swim but to be seen. Pale skin still meant status; a tan meant outdoor labor. The sea is right there, yet almost nobody looks at it. Eugène Boudin painted these resort scenes at Trouville before Monet made beaches famous. He loved grey skies and soft coastal light, and Monet later called him “the master of the skies.” In "The Beach", people travel all the way to the ocean - then sit with their backs to it. Quelle: meisterdrucke.com

J. M. W. Turner