Beach Scene

Daubigny represents beached boats, mussel gatherers, and, to the right, the promontory of the Cap de la Hève, visible across the Seine estuary. The same cliffs are visible in the right distance of his large sunset painting. It is low tide, and fishing boats have been stranded on the beach at Villerville on the English Channel. Across the bay are the cliffs of Sainte-Andresse. The artist began to visit this region in 1854. Daubigny painted with light, fluid brushstrokes in an attempt to convey the changing effects of weather and the time of day. The critic Théophile Gautier criticized the artist for capturing an "impression" rather than providing a detailed image of the subject. The impressionist Claude Monet was deeply influenced by Daubigny's spontaneous method of painting outdoors. This small work on panel was probably painted outdoors in a single sitting.