Waterspout at the Coast (Étretat)
海岸の竜巻（エトルタ）
- Birth Year
- 1819
- Death Year
- 1877
- Date
- 1870
- Technique, Material, Format
- oil on canvas
- Dimension
- 65.0 x 81.0 cm
- Donor name
- Mr. Sakata Takeo
- Category
- Oil or Other Painting by Foreign Artist
- Inventory Number
- 83-OF-006
The rough brushstrokes and white paint thrust against the canvas with a palette knife stand out in the dark image. The coarse application of paint gives the spray on the rocks a tangible presence. Traditionally, the motifs of maritime art were human activities set on the sea. But Gustave Courbet tried to capture the vitality of the ocean itself, capable of changing its appearance depending on the time and weather, from raging waves to serene calm. At Étretat, France, which he visited in 1869, he was inspired by the intensity of the sea enclosed by steep cliff walls. This painting is one of approximately 40 he made over the following year showing waves in detail.
(KATADA Yuko)