Painting Collection Claude Monet Cliffs at Les Petites-Dalles (1840—1926) Claude Monet painted this view of the grass-covered, limestone cliffs of Petites-Dalles en plein air, with his easel on the beach, during an extended trip to his native Normandy Coast. The artist was pursuing a study of the region, capturing this specific spot in three different paintings in 1884. In this version, Monet painted a dramatic rocky formation with delicate, pink brushstrokes that radiate from the rockface. While the artist painted the sky with wispy marks, he constructed the landmass with distinct, vibrant brushstrokes, depicting the textured surfaces and contrasting the turquoise and deep blue hues bisecting the rocky sea. Monet painted from a thin slip of beach, with a cliffside reaching up on the right side in a precarious framing of the composition. In the foreground, dabs of color along the sand could be referencing shells, rocks, and seaweed lining the coast. While this area of Normandy was becoming a popular summer destination among Parisian leisure society, Monet chose views that emphasized the region’s raw landscape without people, finding the sublime in the rocky coastline. —Danielle O'Steen, Ph.D. |
  
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