FREDERICTON.- The Beaverbrook Art Gallery announced today the acquisition of a major work by the French master Eugène Boudin (1824 – 1898). The painting, Le Port de Saint-Valery – Clair de Lune (1891) ("Port of Saint-Valery – Moonlight"), was donated by Dr. Lucinda Flemer of St. Andrews, New Brunswick, and was officially accepted as a donation at a meeting of the Gallery’s Board of Governors in December.

The painting depicts one of the maritime scenes for which the artist is best known. It shows a view of the port of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, France, bathed in moonlight. This acquisition marks the fourth Boudin painting to be acquired into the Gallery’s permanent collection holdings. The Gallery’s other three Boudin works were all included in its North American touring exhibition, Masterworks from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

Gallery Director/CEO Tom Smart is enthusiastic about this gift: “To receive a pre-Impressionist painting as a gift, particularly one of this calibre, is an uncommon and special experience. We are deeply thankful to Dr. Flemer for her continued support of this institution, and are eager to present this painting for all to see in the coming weeks.”

Eugène Boudin was a French pre-Impressionist painter, and one of the first French artists to paint outside of the studio, a practice known as “en plein air.” The son of a sea captain, much of his work focused on maritime life in the north of France. His work is seen as marking a transition from 19th century naturalism to 20th century impressionism, and he is often recognized as an inspiration to Claude Monet, one of the best-known French Impressionists.