Claude Monet on Eugène Boudin

“There at the moment in Honfleur.. ..Boudin and Jongkind are here; we get on marvelously.. ..There's lots to be learned and nature begins to grow beautiful..”

“As to the 'king of skies', I think I've already told you that I consider Eugène Boudin to be my master. I became fascinated with his sketches, daughters of what I call instantaneousness.”

“..it was as if a veil had been torn from my eyes. I had understood, I had grasped what painting could be. Boudin's absorption of his work, and his independence, were enough to decide the entire future and development of my painting.”

“I could not appreciate his [Boudin's] paintings [Monet was c. 16 years old] and when he offered to take me with him to paint outdoors in the open countryside, I always found a pretext and refused politely. But when Summer came, I was more or less free to dispose of my time as I wished and I had no feasible excuse left to give him and gave in. Thus it was, that Boudin - with his inexhaustible kindness - took it upon himself to educate me. With time, my eyes began to open and I really started to understand nature. I also learned to love it. I would analyze its forms with my pencil. I would study its colorations.”