Etretat

Those chalky white cliffs rising in the distance belong to Etretat, a stretch of Normandy coastline in France known for its striking rock formations and natural arches. Eugène Boudin painted this view in 1892, showing fishing boats hauled up onto the pebbly shore with nets laid out to dry in the open air. Two tiny figures rest among the vessels, hinting that this was a place of hard work rather than simple leisure.

Skies were Boudin's specialty, and this one shows off his talent beautifully. Soft grays and whites tumble across the upper canvas, broken here and there by glimpses of blue. His love of weather earned him a nickname from the painter Camille Corot, who called him "the king of skies." Boudin is often seen as an important link on the road to Impressionism, and he encouraged a young Claude Monet to take his easel outdoors. That fresh, open-air spirit comes through in the loose brushwork and the light that feels genuinely observed.

Etretat attracted plenty of artists over the decades, Monet among them, who painted its cliffs many times. Boudin's take feels more modest by comparison, less about the drama of the landscape and more about the daily rhythm of a fishing community going about its business. There is an honest, unpretentious charm in that choice.