HONFLEUR SOUVENIRS ET REVERIES

 

Eugène BOUDIN

1824-1898 BIOGRAPHY p. I - II



 

Léonard-Sébastien Boudin, a sailor, marries Marie-Félicité Buffet in Honfleur in 1816; she gives birth to their son EUGENE in the Bourdet street on July 12, 1824. Settled in the seaport town of Havre, 51 Grand-Quai, in 1835, Léonard-Sébastien Boudin starts working at the Albrecht Company and works on boats ensuring the connection Havre to Hamburg. Eugene, as a pupil of the Christian schools of le Havre, writes his name on an exercise book. according to the catalogue of the exhibit E.B. 1992.

1836 - Eugene Boudin enters the working life. He begins as a clerk at the printer Joseph Morlent, place de la Comédie in le Havre, then at the stationer's shop of Alphonse Lemasle, rue des Drapiers. ibidem.

Léonard-Sébastien Boudin became a sailor on Le Français, a steamer of the company of the boats of Honfleur ensuring the connection between Havre and Honfleur. Marie-Félicité Boudin will be employed on Le Normandie, then Le Seine, which both ensure the connection le Havre to Rouen. Then she will enter the company of the boats of Honfleur. G. Jean-Aubry pg 11.

1844 - Eugene Boudin, 20 years old at this time, joins with Jean Acher, a former foreman of the stationer Alphonse Lemasle. They set up a stationer's shop, 18 rue de la Communauté. The shop is visited by artists; Eugene Boudin draws and shows his first tests to Millet, then in Havre. Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) vainly tries to dissuade Boudin to follow him... Jean-Aubry pg 13.1846 will settle his destiny; he draws a bad number and leaves for his military service ; he backs out of his association with Acher. L. Manoeuvre cat. E.B. 92.

June 1847 - I do not have any money to buy some paper and work with my brushes. In November 1848 he takes the courses of the municipal school of drawing of Havre. Jean-Aubry notes in cat. E.B. 92 - Bio. by L. Manoeuvre.

January 1850 - We agreed together (Berthoud and Troyon) that I would go to Martin's, the merchant to which he referred me, to request him to come to take your seaside paintings and expose them in his shop.../. If you make paintings for the merchants, make them small, the smaller is the better.../. I believe that seascapes and figures will be more popular than landscapes. January 20: I see that you almost have lost the hope to obtain a small pension of the municipality of Le Havre.../. Try to obtain from the old father Taylor (a collector from Havre) the most copies as you can, prepare your bag and come to find me.../. my studio is at your service. Berthoud to Boudin, from Paris, ibidem.

September 19 - the purchasing commission of the Company of the friends of Arts of le Havre sends a petition to the town council so that this one gives, by an exceptional arrangement, a grant to Boudin. The journalist Alphonse Karr, the painters Thomas Couture " I am happy to be able to certify that Mr. Boudin is an artist of talent and with a great future, and I congratulate the Town council of Le Havre to agree to help a young man who will be one day, I am very certain, one of the glories of our modern school (Paris, December 6, 1850) " and Constant Troyon intervene with the municipality on his behalf. According to the remarks made by Boudin himself, the instigator of these steps would have been Alphonse Karr. Indeed this writer was living in Sainte-Adresse/Havre since 1841. Jean-Aubry pg 16.

Death of Acher which had just set up his new store, 99 rue de Paris. Mrs Acher joins with her brother; the stationer shop takes the name of Gravel then. Boudin will continue to provide himself in equipment and to sell works, at Mrs. Acher's shop. He will probably meet Claude Monet (then named Oscar) there in 1858. Jean-Aubry p. 27.

February 6, 1851 - the town council of Havre gives him a grant of 1200 F per annum (on a basis of 300 F per quarter), so that he can go to study painting in Paris during three years. F. Cohen in cat. E.B. 92.

February 28: " with the support of Messieurs Troyon and Isabey, all the studios will be open to you ". Lemarcis to Boudin, Jean-Aubry notes, ibidem.

Eugene Boudin leaves for Paris, on June 30th, 1851 and settles : 26, Montholon street (archives of the National Museums, in cat. exhibit. E.B. 92 - Bio. by L. Manoeuvre). On July 24th he is registered in the Louvre museum as a junior copyist. (he figures on the register with the first name Émile and the age of 25). The mention Master: Louis Rochet (1813-1878), the signature, and the copied paintings, leave no doubt about his true identity - National Museums Archives, ibidem. What eases my stay is the friendship of Berthoud and Lemarcis. Letter to his brother Louis on July 26th. (Gift of Louis Boudin to G. Jean-Aubry in G. Jean-Aubry).

On March 18th, 1852 he undertakes to copy the painting of Paullus Potter (1625-1654) " Meadow " in the Louvre museum (arch. MN, museum Le Havre, S 23 - ibidem). " In connection with your idleness, I must say to you that this can put an end to you your pension. The M. Ochard cabal is getting excited ". letter of Valls, (a collector from Havre), on April 3rd. Jean-Aubry notes, in cat. E.B. 92 - Bio. by L. Manoeuvre.

On June 8th : " I see with pleasure that one was satisfied with your copy because, now, all the machinations of your enemies lead to nothing.../. I see that you bought a painting of Corot: what a luxury ". Berthoud to Boudin, ibidem.

March 1853 - The mayor said to me that you were almost never in Paris and you were more often in Caen, Rouen and le Havre.../. Couveley to Boudin, Jean-Aubry pg. 16-17 Always named Émile, Eugene Boudin renews his card of copyist in the Louvre. He lives then 33, rue du Dragon. Archives of the National Museums, ibidem.

May 20th: final return from Paris. account book of Eugene Boudin, ibidem.

May 15th, 1854 - Death of his friend Virginia, This dear creature who liked me so much May 28th, 1859. Louvre Journal - Diary preserved by the Département des Arts Graphiques, the Louvre Museum -. On the 18th of July, he settles in the Saint-Siméon farmhouse in Honfleur. (Louvre Journal) and pays to Toutain 115 F during the 2nd six-month period of the year. Account book, ibidem.

1855 - First stay in the Finistère area (Brittany) in Douarnenez, Tréboul and its surroundings. L. M. cat. exhibit E.B. 92.

June 15th - I have finally get rid of the most insistent. I still have to undergo torments of all kinds but the need which makes stupid has disappeared. Louvre Journal, ibidem.

The poet Alphonse Darnault encourages him to go in the Finistère area: " thus I am satisfied to have formerly called you in the Finistère area: this trip gave you the taste of figures.". Darnault to Boudin, on December 15th, 1861. J-A notes in the catalogue of the exhibit E.B. 1992 - Bio. by L. M.

1857 - First exhibit of Boudin; Musard Concert in Paris. Auction sale in Le Havre; 20 of the 30 offered paintings are sold. ibidem.

1858 - September - Société des amis des arts au Havre. Boudin exhibits a series of landscapes, of which: Valley of Rouelles and three paintings of Brittany. Acknowledging Boudin as a " promising painter whose current works already draw attention ", Felix Santallier, a critic from Havre writes: " Its conscientious studies give birth day by day of a more seizing progress, the supreme expression of which is up to now the canvas entitled Breton farm. It is an erudite and eminently perfectible painting ". For this occasion and for the first time, Monet also exhibits ; " a sight of Rouelles of Mr. Monet takes part of qualities of Mr. Boudin ". Journal du Havre, September 9, 1858 in J-S. Klein pg 67.

The year 1859 was remarkable for him for he met two great personalities: Courbet and the poet Charles Baudelaire. Schanne, the Schaunard of the Bohemian Life of Henri Murger (1822-1861), and Courbet had decided to go to le Havre to see the sea and to botanise on the coast. In the rue de Paris, the Master perceives at the display of a merchant, small conscientiously painted seascapes which interests him at once; he asks for the address of the painter: one sends him to Boudin. This one, charmed by the meeting, offers himself as their guide, leads them to Honfleur and settles them at mid-hill in the Saint-Siméon farmhouse, at old Mrs Toutain's house. Courbet had a memory of this stay in the garden of the old Mrs Toutain and it seems that Boudin himself urged Courbet to paint the English Channel. One knows that Courbet has left from his stay in Honfleur, inter alia works: Cliffs of Honfleur, the garden of the old Mrs Toutain, Sunset on the English Channel and Vue de l'embouchure la Seine / Sight of the mouth of the Seine. (preserved by the Museum of the fine arts of Lille, North of France > Joconde). in G Jean-Aubry pg 28.

April 15th : opening of the painting show le Salon: n° 230, Breton scene: le pardon de Sainte-Anne-la-Palud au fond de la baie de Douarnenez (Finistère, Brittany) . at MM Deforge & Carpentier 8 Bd Montmartre. (Book of the show).

January 15th, 1860 - I have planned to make with Cassinelli varied seascapes. Louvre Journal, ibidem. Some rare paintings bear both their signatures.

Rent Havre: 312, Honfleur : 70F. in the account book of Eugene Boudin. I lived in my " bewitched " house, the thirty-six-steps (lane), in the rue de l'Homme de Bois (Man-of-Wood street) " returned " there for the reason that rent was proportioned to my poor purse.

         I had as visitors many famous dead men ... I welcomed there Courbet and Schaunard of the Bohemian Life. I regaled there Baudelaire with the sight of my skies in pastels. (Gustave) Mathieu (1808-1877) read me his symphonies. Troyon spent there many hours, Français as well. Isabey, who was my neighbour, gave me his encouragements, and the great Jongkind, also a famous guy, came there many times to get drunk on the sight of the bay of Seine, our close friendly talks and our good Norman cider. Poor small house, I spent there hard days. Letter to Mr. Soudan de Pierrefitte, October 25th, 1896. Jean-Aubry pg 32.

February 20th, 1861 - in Paris, 66 Pigalle street : from our windows, we see the windmills which dominate the hillock (J-A. pg 39). He took his trials to Troyon who gets the notes in tune. letter to his brother Louis, ibidem.

April 12th: I will prepare paintings following his good studies (Troyon) and he will put his bloody knack. Do not say anything of this to Cassinelli and Couveley because one is too much prompt to calumniate people who are coming out. Bio. by L. M. in cat. E.B. 92.

January 14th, 1863 -: marriage in le Havre with Marie-Anne Guédes, born on April 17th, 1835 in Rusaden, close Hanvec (Brittany). As witnesses: Louis Boudin (his brother), F. Martin and Louis-Alexandre Dubourg. J-A pg 48. The dowry of the bride is entrusted to F. Martin. J-A notes, Bio. by L. M. in cat. E.B. 92. I am afraid that our dear parents find that we are not get truly married by the Mayor and that they torment us to be married by the Priest. I would like to dodge this ceremony, being very little pious and fearing these banns and everything looking like a ceremony ./... As old fishermen, we have much to be forgiven, but we have also much to hide. December 31, 1862 in J-S. Klein pg 58.

In February he moves in Paris, 27 Trudaine avenue.

September: in Trouville, 23 Farabe street (letters to F. Martin preserved at the Library of Art and Archaeology - Bio. by L. M. in cat. E.B. 92.). Courbet is in Deauville (Normandy) at the earl of Choiseul's house, Monet and Jongkind are in Honfleur, in the Saint-Siméon Inn. By Mr. de Choiseul's wish, I invite you and our lady for dinner on tomorrow Wednesday at 6 o'clock in the evening. I have already invited Mr. Monet and his lady who promised me, yesterday evening in the Casino. Courbet to Boudin, G. Cahen pg. 61-62. (Ill) Harbor at Honfleur, 1865. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

February 1865 - Yesterday we dined (at, the violinist, de Bériot's) with Corot, Daubigny, one named Coquelet (Constant Coquelin, 1841-1909) from the Théâtre Français. (to his brother Louis, ibidem). (Ill) Beach Scene, Trouville about 1860-70 This painting is one of the two panels in the Collection that may have belonged to Monet .../. The National Gallery London. > Trouville beach scene, 1869 ... Joconde database

20 March - Death of Troyon which we led to his last resting place without regret nor emotion. (to F. Martin, ibidem).

May 1866 - We are awaiting the return of Cadart (painter dealer in the years 1860) in the course of June. We hope to foist some small paintings on him if he is satisfied with the result obtained in New York. (to Louis, ibidem).

July 13th: Cadart asked me to finish some pictures for him.../. Monet has been for a long time in Trouville. (to Louis, from Paris, ibidem).

February 1867 - this dreadful nightmare which keeps me awake, concerning myself with the mastering of this damned show. For one month and more than I have devoted an invaluable time to this work, I have inexpressibly worried myself sick. (to his brother Louis, ibidem).

May 20th: I had the honours of standing for a second ballot for the Medal which still escapes to me this year .../. (to Louis, ibidem).

April 1868 - Founding of the Municipal Museum of Honfleur, wished by Louis-Alexandre Dubourg, Eugene Boudin helps his friend and gives a picture. A-M. Bergeret-Gourbin, Chief Curator of the Eugène Boudin Museum. (Ill) The collect of the fishing worms. The André Malraux Museum le Havre

February 1869 - 31 Saint-Lazare street. We are getting closer to the town centre and especially the railroad service. (to his brother Louis, ibidem).

May 23rd: I go today to Harpignies's, one of " Les Habiles " (the skilled) which may show me some good basics of watercolour. (to F. Martin, ibidem).

October 11: We met here (in Trouville) Daubigny father and son. (to F. Martin, ibidem).

December 1870 - 69 Mérode street in Saint-Gilles, suburbs of Brussels: the Belgians are good and very hospital people; moreover the city is beautiful.../. I am asked already for painting sights of the Channel where there are very curious Dutch boats (to Louis). Meet the couple (Antoine) Vollon (1833-1900), and Diaz who is staying in the White Lion Hôtel, Monkey street Town Hall Place. (Louvre Journal, ibidem).

> 1871 to 1898