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Gustave Courbet
(1819–1877)
The Sea-Arch at Etretat
Etretat, Normandy, 1869
Oil on canvas
The spectacular cliffs at Etretat culminate in a dramatic sea-arch with a needle of rock beyond. Courbet visited in the summer of 1869 and in a month completed five views of the cliffs and numerous seascapes. He worked quickly, painting out of doors. Here he uses a palette knife and a loaded brush for the rugged cliffs and contrasts this with the smoother texture of the grass and the hazy sky. Etretat was a popular resort, but Courbet minimises any signs of humanity. Courbet’s landscapes were a commercially successful alternative to his Realist figure subjects which caused so much controversy.
Purchased 1947 (No. 47.2)