French painter, noted for his seascapes and coastal scenes. He spent most of his life in Normandy (Normandie), portraying the sea resorts of the English Channel in numerous oil paintings and more than 6000 drawings and watercolors. He was one of the first artists to paint in the open air (en plein air) rather than in a studio, which is evident in his masterly portrayals of iridescent sand and water under bright, shifting sunlight. A teacher of Claude Monet, Boudin was an influence on the impressionist painters, and he participated in the first impressionist exhibition in 1874.