Steamboat Leaving Boulogne

Edouard Manet became one of the most famous painters in Paris after exhibiting several works that shocked the public with their bold treatment of form, color, space, and sexually oriented themes. Probably seeking relief from the harsh criticism he had received, he left Paris and went on a vacation with his family in the northern port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. This is where he painted this painting, one of his earliest presenting the sea.

This work represent a breakthrough for the artist. Although his bold, flat brushwork outraged his critics—what wasn't surprising for Manet—it inspired his Impressionist colleagues in the next decade.

Look at the raised horizon, flattened objects and space, and asymmetrical composition—they were inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, which had become extremely popular in France at the time. Manet rendered the water in lively horizontal strokes of blue and green paint, which anticipated the sketch-like Impressionist style.