Vue Du Port D’antibes. Le Quai, Le Matin 1893

Eugène Boudin captured this view of the port of Antibes in a painting that serves as a window into 19th-century France. Boudin, the son of a sailor, often depicted maritime scenes, reflecting his deep connection to the sea. This work situates itself in a period of significant industrial expansion, deeply intertwined with colonial exploits. Ports like Antibes were hubs of activity, enabling maritime trade and playing a crucial role in France’s economic and imperial ambitions. Boudin's paintings, while seemingly idyllic, prompt us to consider the labor and societal hierarchies underpinning these scenes. We see only the surface—the ships, the water, and the sky—yet there's an underlying sense of the complex human interactions that drive such a port. His attention to the subtleties of light and atmosphere invites contemplation on the relationship between landscape and identity, and raises questions about whose stories are told and whose are obscured.