Paul Detrimont, Paris
Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 1st July 1970, lot 11
Private Collection (sale: Sotheby's, London, 3rd July 1973, lot 39)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Robert Schmit, Eugène Boudin, Paris, 1973, vol. I, no. 527, illustrated p. 197

The canvas is lined. There is a milky varnish preventing UV light from fully penetrating, however, examination under UV reveals some sensitive retouching along the edges and a few fine lines of infill to the craquelure in the sky. There are further tiny spots of in-painting in the lower part of the composition. There is some frame abrasion along all four edges, which is barely visible when framed. There are areas with fine lines of stable craquelure, predominantly to the sky. This work is in overall good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted in 1870, Les Pêcheuses de Kerhor depicts a group of Breton fisherwomen gathered together on the shore. The scene is one of great tranquillity, with the sunlit beach and calm sea reflecting the warm blue of the sky, whilst the fisherwomen appear absorbed in their task. Although Eugène Boudin’s beach scenes more commonly portray the well-dressed ‘bourgeoisie’ on their holidays, his depictions of working women, in particular those of fisherwomen or washerwomen, are imbued with an almost tender sense of realism. Boudin was particularly inspired by the beauty of the Breton landscape: following his marriage to a lady from Brittany in 1863, Marie-Anne Guedes, he and his wife made extensive trips to the region.

Vivien Hamilton notes that: ‘Although Boudin preferred painting groups of people to painting individuals, he succeeded in capturing the characteristic gestures, movements and costumes of the individual figures with astonishing accuracy. The artistic challenge presented by the subject was not only the representation of movement, colour and light but also the successful incorporation of the human figure into the landscape… ‘ (Vivien Hamilton, Boudin at Trouville, London, 1992, p. 63). The artist's practice of painting largely en plein air, though often finishing his paintings in the studio, enabled him to endow his works with an energetic immediacy and freshness. As Boudin inscribed in one of his notebooks: ‘Beaches. Produce them from nature as far as is possible... things done on the spot or based on a very recent impression can be considered as direct paintings’ (quoted in Gustave Cahen, Eugène Boudin, Sa vie et son œuvre, Paris, 1900, p. 183).