In the early 1840s, the French painter Gustave Courbet (1819–1877) found his own artistic style, which made him the founder of so-called 'realism'. The artists of the realist circle were in revolt against the representations of classicism and romanticism. They uncompromisingly rejected academic conventions. Their aim was to depict reality without idealising it.
During his stay in Étretat in Normandy in the summer of 1869, Courbet painted several views of the present motif, the Porte d'Aval. The painter chose a spot on the coast. From there, he first of all focused on the deserted beach, which, in terms of shape and colour, leads up to the impressive rock formation. The narrowness of the picture and the restriction to a single boat suggest the originality of this natural formation. This famous arch in the north of France was later painted several times by the Impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840–1926).
In a letter to the poet Victor Hugo (1802–1885), Courbet wrote: "The sea! The sea! Its beauty makes me sad! When it is calm, it reminds me of a laughing tiger; when it is dark, it reminds me of crocodile tears; and when it rages with wild fury, I feel it is a monster in a cage that wants to devour me".
- Material & Technik
- Leinwand
- Museum
- Von der Heydt Museum
- Datierung
- um 1869
- Inventarnummer
- G 0115