The Boatyardc. 1875 · Study 1977.123

Context from the museum

Cazin exhibited this painting at the Paris Salon of 1876, marking the start of his official career. It depicts a boatyard in the artist's native Boulogne, a port city on the English Channel. The young man in the foreground is melting tar at a smoky fire, while men work on a boat just above him. Cazin was associated with the Realist movement during his early years and later with the Impressionists.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

This painting was submitted to the Paris Salon in 1876 as Cazin’s first major work.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for The Boatyard is 122.7 cm wide and 77.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 48.3 × 30.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.58:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.95 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 40.9% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 88.7 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With The Boatyard in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on fabric, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 122.7 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?