The Cliff of Aval, Etrétat 1885

Claude Monet painted ‘The Cliff of Aval, Etrétat’ with oil on canvas to capture the light of the coast of France. Monet and other impressionist painters were concerned with painting the experience of the landscape, rather than a formal portrait of it. Monet’s choice of subject matter places this work in the social and cultural context of 19th-century France, a time when the middle class had more leisure time to travel. Coastal landscapes became popular destinations, celebrated for their natural beauty and as places of leisure. This painting reflects Monet’s personal connection with the natural world and the fleeting sensations it evokes. "I wish I had been born blind and then one day had my sight given to me so that I could see the sea for the first time.” Here, the dramatic cliffs are rendered with an emotional intensity, the rough brushstrokes mirroring the ruggedness of the landscape and the power of the sea. It invites us to consider our own relationship to nature and the impact of the changing world.