Description

The painting in the image is a reproduction of The Cliff at Étretat after the Storm by the French Realist painter Gustave Courbet.
Artwork Information
Artist: Gustave Courbet (French, 1819–1877)
Title: The Cliff at Étretat after the Storm (French: La falaise d’Étretat après l’orage)
Date: 1869–1870
Medium: Oil on canvas
Movement: Realism
Current Location: Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France

The painting depicts the dramatic limestone cliffs of Étretat in Normandy, France, a location that inspired many artists including Claude Monet. The focal point is the natural archway, known as the Porte d’Aval, and the needle-like rock formation, the Aiguille. Courbet focused on rendering the natural environment with fidelity, reducing human presence to a few fishing boats on the empty beach in the foreground. The scene captures the powerful tranquility and clearing weather after a tempest.