The Wave

The French Realist painter Courbet stayed in Étretat in the Normandy region in the summer of 1869, producing numerous compositions with a motif centering on waves raging in storms. This work is one such piece. Under a sky with clouds hanging heavily, he realistically captured the white crest of a wave the moment before it crashed. His technique of painting in thick strokes with the palette knife makes the motions of waves—such as their undulations and splashing—stand out even more.