Clouds over the Sea

1857/1858

Friendship with the young Claude Monet

Boudin befriended the 17-year-old Claude Monet and persuaded him to give up his teenage caricatures and become a landscape painter, instilling in him a love of bright colour and of light playing on water. They remained lifelong friends, and Monet later paid tribute to his early influence.

1859

Debut at the Paris Salon

In 1859 Boudin made his debut at the Paris Salon, and Charles Baudelaire became the first critic to bring his talent to public attention; he went on exhibiting at the Salons.

1859

Baudelaire in Boudin's studio

Passing through Honfleur, Charles Baudelaire saw Boudin's paintings, visited his studio and wrote about him enthusiastically in his review “The Salon of 1859”.

1859

Meets Gustave Courbet

In 1859 Boudin met Gustave Courbet, who introduced him to Charles Baudelaire.

1863

Takes part in the Salon des Refusés

In 1863 Boudin took part in the Salon des Refusés in Paris, alongside Édouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, James Whistler and other artists.

14 January 1863

Marries Marie-Anne Guédès

In Le Havre Boudin married Marie-Anne Guédès, a 28-year-old Breton woman, and the couple set up home in Paris.