The 50^th Year of the Sompo Museum of Art

Eugène Boudin

2026.04.11（Saturday）- 06.21（Sunday）

This marks the first major exhibition in Japan in approximately 30 years of the work of Eugène Boudin (1824-1898), known as the "Precursor of Impressionism." Boudin captured skies, clouds, seascapes, and herds of cattle with fresh colors and light, lively brushwork. His paintings brilliantly portray the light and atmosphere of various locales, including his native Normandy in northern France. Boudin placed great emphasis on working outdoors, en plein air, confronting the fleeting "moments" of ever-changing natural phenomena. This approach to painting opened the eyes of the young Claude Monet（1840-1926） and would eventually lead to the birth of Impressionism.
While Boudin is often discussed in relation to his seascapes depicting maritime scenes, his appeal extends far beyond this genre alone. This exhibition comprises approximately 100 works, primarily oil paintings, drawings, pastels, and prints. By focusing on the figures, architecture, and other subjects Boudin depicted, the exhibition reexamines, from a fresh perspective, the appeal of this artist who made significant contributions to the development of modern French landscape painting.