Antwerp, Boats on the Scheldt

Description

As a child, Eugène Louis Boudin worked aboard a ship with his father, and it was there he first observed the interplay of sky and water that would dominate many of his canvases. In 1871, Boudin traveled to Antwerp, Belgium, where he executed many paintings of the busy port.

In this scene, Boudin portrayed a mix of commerce and leisure activity on the water, set off by the silhouette of Antwerp cathedral visible at left. He deftly captured the rapidly moving gray clouds that bring almost daily squalls to the city.