Cliffs at Pourville, Morning 1897

Claude Monet painted Cliffs at Pourville, Morning with oil on canvas, capturing a scene dominated by soft, diffused light and pastel hues that evoke a tranquil atmosphere. The cliffs, rendered in strokes of pink, yellow, and blue, create a contrast of cool and warm tones. Monet's approach in this work exemplifies Impressionist principles, where the structure of the artwork shifts away from realistic representation toward capturing the ephemeral qualities of light and atmosphere. Here, he destabilizes traditional landscape painting by focusing on the sensory experience of the scene. Rather than depicting the cliffs with precise detail, Monet uses color and texture to convey the feeling of a morning on the Normandy coast. Consider how the horizon line is blurred, blending sea and sky through subtle tonal shifts, challenging our perception of depth and space. This piece invites us to contemplate the ways in which art can reflect not just what we see, but how we see.