The Cliffs at Etretat

Between October and December 1885, Monet made nearly fifty paintings of the Normandy coast. This work shows the Porte d’Aval, a naturally formed arch, and a freestanding needle-like rock that attracted tourists and artists alike to the town of Étretat. Monet painted this view of the cliffs from an unusual location, accessible only by boat or via a precipitous path. The writer Guy de Maupassant described how the artist “watched the sun and the shadows, capturing in a few brushstrokes a falling ray of light or a passing cloud.” This artwork was acquired by the Clark Art Institute, Massachusetts in 1933. Location: the Clark Art Institute Medium: Oil on Canvas Style: Impressionism  Created:  1885 Part of series: n/a  Genre: Seascape Dimensions:  25 5/8 x 32 in. (65.1 x 81.3 cm) Periods: Impressionism  100% Hand painted art: Size: Various Sizes Available Medium: Oil Painting on Canvas  Type: Reproduction Artist:  Claude Monet Deliver