Etretat 1902

Gustave Loiseau made this painting of Etretat with oil on canvas, using short brushstrokes and a muted color palette, a method that shows his attention to the process of artmaking. The painting has a kind of dreamy feel to it. The surface of the painting is textured, built up from small dabs of paint. Loiseau has used the paint to create the feeling of light on the water and the rough texture of the cliffs. Look at the way he's captured the light on the water, those little flicks of white and blue that make it look so alive. And then look at the cliff face, a jumble of browns and greys, capturing the ruggedness. The way the clouds are suggested with a simple drag of grey paint makes it feel like the painting was made in one sitting, outside on the beach. There's a similar feeling to some of the paintings of Boudin, a contemporary of the Impressionists, who also painted scenes of the French coast. Both artists show how a painting can be a record of a moment, capturing not just what the artist saw, but also how they felt.