Eugène Boudin Exhibition: Father of Impressionism — In Pursuit of Light
A major exhibition of Eugène Boudin, the "father of Impressionism," comes to Japan for the first time in 30 years at the Museum of Modern Art, Gunma.Summary
This exhibition showcases the career of the 19th-century French painter Eugène Boudin (1824-1898), known as a "pioneer of Impressionism" and the "father of Impressionism." Boudin is celebrated for depicting the skies, seascapes, and pasture cows of his native Normandy with fresh colors and light brushwork. His practice of observing nature directly outdoors and capturing shifting light and atmosphere greatly influenced young painters such as Claude Monet and eventually contributed to the birth of Impressionism. His treatment of skies and clouds was praised by the poet Baudelaire as "a world of meteorological beauty" and by the Barbizon painter Corot, who called him "king of the skies." Marking his first full-scale exhibition in Japan in 30 years, the show also focuses on figure and architectural motifs, presenting about 100 works—oil paintings, drawings, pastels, and prints—to reconsider Boudin's appeal and his major contribution to modern landscape painting from a new perspective. The exhibition runs from November 28, 2026, to January 31, 2027, at the Museum of Modern Art, Gunma (Exhibition Room 1). Admission is 1,200 yen for general visitors (960 yen for groups) and 600 yen (480 yen) for university and high school students. It is supervised by Laurent Manœuvre.
(Source：ART iT)