The Impressionist Claude Monet (1840 - 1926)
had a fascination for Etretat and it's cliff.

As a child Monet grew up in the nearby Le Havre.
1858 Monet meets Eugene Boudin and gets initiated to paint in the countryside.

From his home in Giverny Monet lived at a distance of 118 km.
Many paintings were made from the Jardins d Etretat,
a property belonging to his friend Madame Thebault.

Monet has visited Etretat multiple times 1868, 1869, 1872, 1883, 1886, 1891 und 1916
resulting in 80 different paintings

The Monet paintings are a great promotion for the city of Etretat.



photo of Claude Monet taken in 1886
website of the fondation Claude Monet
see also Monet at Etretat by Google Arts and Culture



Falaise d'Aval Etretat painted by young Claude Monet 1864
2022 the painting was sold for 381.000 euros
The painting is in a privated collection


Boats with view on the Porte d Amont by young Claude Monet 1868
2015 the painting was sold by Sothebys for 315.000 euros
2021 the painting was resold by Sothebys for 378,000 dollars
The painting is in a privated collection


1883 February Monet spend most of the month in Etretat
painting 18 views of the beach end the three rocks
"Porte d'Aval" "Porte d'Amont" and "Manneporte"




Sunset at Etretat painted 1883
The painting is in Raleigh in the North Carolina Museum of Art


Sunset at Etretat painted 1883
1883 Monet sells the painting to the art dealer Durand-Ruel
1883 painting acquired by Georges Petit
1999 sale of the painting by Rouillac for 2.326.000 euro
The painting is in a rivate collection


another Sunset at Etretat painted 1883
The painting is in Nancy in the Musée des Beaux Arts


Coucher de Soleil at Porte d Aval Etretat by Claude Monet painted 1883
Monet sold the peinting to the art dealer Ambroise Vollard (1866 - 1939)
The painting continued to be in the hands of different art dealers
until it was bough by the American musicien Benny Goodman (1909 - 1986)
2019 the painting was auctioned by Sothebys for 3.020.000 USD
The painting is in a private collection


Porte d Aval at Etretat by Claude Monet painted 1883
The painting is in the Catalonian countryside in the Abbey Santa Maria de Montserrat


Beach and Porte d Amont Etretat by Claude Monet painted 1883
Legs Antonin Personnaz, 1937
The painting is in Paris in the Musée d Orsay



Falaise d Amont Etretat by Claude Monet painted 1883
Monet sold the painting to the Eastman Chase Gallery in Boston
2015 Sothebys London sale for 3.061.000 pounds.
The painting is in a private collection.


Stormy sea at Etretat painted 1883
Monet sold the painting to the Art Dealer Paul Durant Ruel
1902 The Museum de Beaux Arts aquired it
The painting is in Lyon in the Musée des Beaux Arts
more about the painting


Rought weather at Etretat painted 1883
1883 Monet sold painting to Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris,
1883 - 1901 collection of Jean-Baptiste Faure
1901 - 1913 Galerie Durand-Ruel
1913 acquired for the Felton Bequest for the National Gallery with funds from Alfred Felton
The painting is in Melbourne in the National Gallery of Victoria



Etretat by Claude Monet painted 1883
collection Lady Hulton
The painting is in Cologne in the Wallraf Richartz Museum



Manneporte Etretat painted 1883
The painting is in New York in the Met Museum

With weather conditions changing
Monet recounted in a letter one of his days painting:
“I was counting on a rewarding session at the Manneporte, but I had an accident…
Completely absorbed, I didn’t see an enormous wave that threw me against the cliff,
then I tumbled into the foam with all my gear.
For a moment I thought I was lost...finally I managed to crawl out,
but, my God, in what a state!
My boots, heavy socks, and coat were soaked.
The palette in my hand had hit me in the face and my beard was covered with blue, yellow, etc…
The worst of it was that I lost my canvas, which I got smashed up”
(Light, Shadows and Reflection expo catalogue 2017 by Beyler foundation)



Stormy sea at Etretat painted 1885
View from the "Villa Les Roches" owned by Jean Baptiste Faure.
Monet sold the painting to Faure an Opera singer from Paris.
Faure had a major Impressionist art collection including 63 Monets.
The painting is in Dijon in the Musée des Beaux Arts



Falaise d'Aval at Etretat made on cream wove paper 1885
Monet sold the painting to the Opera singer Jean Baptiste Faure
Faure had a major Impressionist art collection including 63 Monets
2012 Sothebys sale for 300.750 USD
The painting is in a private collection


Falaise d'Aval at Etretat made on cream wove paper 1885
2010 Sothebys sale for 746.500 USD
The painting is in a private collection


La Manneporte Etretat painted 1885
Monet sold the painting to Dr de Gennes Paris
1961 La Manneporte sold by Sothebys London
1994 painting given by Pierre Larock to the Musée d'Orsay as a souvenir of Katia Granoff
2000 painting deposited at the Musee des Beaux Arts Caen
The painting is in Caen in the Musée des Beaux Arts



Aiguille seen through the porte d'Aval Etretat painted 1886
2009 painting given to the museum
by the Collection of Marjorie Schechter and Gerald Bronfman
The painting is in Ottawa in the National Gallery of Ottawa
more about the painting


Rainly weather at Etretat painted 1886
The painting is in Oslo in the National Museum Oslo



Beach at Etretat painted 1886
Monet sold the painting to Faure an Opera singer from Paris.
Faure had a major Impressionist art collection including 63 Monets.
The painting is in Moscow in the Pushkin Museum Moscow





photo of Claude Monet taken in 1905







Monet by Wildenstein - english edition
Monet by Wildenstein - edition Francaise





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