The Cliffs at Polhor 1899

Maxime Maufra painted ‘The Cliffs at Polhor’ using oil on canvas. The painting is dominated by its diagonal composition; the cliff face cuts across the canvas from the upper left to the lower right. This imposing geological structure, rendered in ochre and grey, contrasts with the softer green hues of the sea, creating a dynamic tension. Maufra’s handling of paint is particularly striking. Short, broken brushstrokes evoke a sense of movement and texture, particularly in the cliff face. The artist's mark-making is a semiotic system, using visible brushstrokes to denote mass and volume, contributing to the overall structural integrity of the composition. Consider how Maufra uses colour and form to create not just a visual representation of the Polhor cliffs, but an interpretation that destabilizes our perception of landscape. The interplay between natural forms and the artist’s brushwork reveals the cliffs not just as a static element, but as part of an evolving, dynamic system.