Shadows on the Sea. The Cliffs at Pourville

In his treatment of the sea surface Monet’s Impressionist technique can be seen fully developed. Shadows, reflections and movements are depicted in a series of short, curved brushstrokes in pure, unmixed pigments. If one examines the painting from a distance while peering with half-open eyes, the elements flow together into an optic unity and the painting’s surface seems almost to vibrate – precisely as on a hot summer day by the sea, where the surface of the water is broken by the wind to become a million small, flashing mirrors. It is this impression Monet wishes to convey, just as he experienced it that day on the cliffs at Pourville in 1882.