Rue Saint-Romain, Rouen

The subject of this small painting is a street in Rouen, a city in Northern France known for its medieval center. Dogs, merchants, well-dressed ladies, and a nun bustle along amid the historic buildings lining the narrow, cobblestone street. Rather than providing a detailed, postcard-style view, Boudin has used small, lively brushstrokes to suggest the shapes and textures of the architecture and the busy activity of contemporary urban life.

Credit: Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark before 1955