The Discovery of Étretat – Monet and Various Contemporary Painters

Revisit the Städel Museum

I visited Frankfurt again, after two decades. My ex-colleagues Jörg and Sabrina spent wonderful time with me. On my last day with Sabrina, she took me to the Städel Museum to see the exhibition of Étretat, fabulous paintings by Claude Monet, Eugène Delacroix, Gustave Courbet, Henri Matisse, Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, Eugène Le Poittevin, as well as Camille Corot, Eugène Boudin and Elger Esser.

Étretat Grew Popular and Beloved

Étretat is a picturesque seaside town on Normandy’s Alabaster Coast. Nature has carved unusual shapes out of the white cliffs. The dramatic white chalk cliffs with natural arches and the needle-like Aiguille rock were like a magnet, attracting numerous artists to capture the stunning scenes on canvas in the 19^th century. It played a pivotal role in the birth of modern painting. 

Eugène Isabey

Pioneer Painters of Étretat

It is widely considered that Eugène Isabey is among the first painters to draw the breathtaking cliffs in the 1820s. Then came Eugene Le Pottevin. His lifelike sea bathing paintings were displayed in major art spots in Paris, along with promotions by doctors prescribing it as therapy for a range of ailments attracted crowds flocking to Étretat.

Eugene Le Pottevin

Eugene Le Pottevin

Gustave Courbet 

Later came Gustave Courbet, visiting Eugene Le Pottevin. He spent five weeks at Étretat and painted over 20 sea and landscapes. The famous ones are The Cliff at Étretat after the Storm and The Wave but this peaceful painting appealed me most, The Calm Sea.

Gustave Courbet

Arrival of Monet

Monet has been fascinated by Étretat’s spectacular coastline since he was a child. He spent several extended periods in Étretat between 1860s and 1880s, delivering more than 50 paintings to his impressions of nature along the coastline (over 20 paintings are displayed at the exhibition). The rock formations at Étretat inspired his painting innovations significantly. Monet began experimenting with the manner that would come to be called “Impressionist” during his second stay in Étretat. 

Courbet casted his influence to Monet. In 1883, six years after Courbet’s death, Monet painted Stormy Sea at Étretat, skillfully capturing the impression of white-capped, churning waves whipped up by a raging storm beneath a sallow sky. 

Monet's Luncheon Fantasy

Monet did not only paint the coastline and nature, but also unconventional figure paintings. Hanging as the centerpiece of the Städel Museum is The Luncheon. In the winter of 1868/69, Monet rented a house in the village for himself and his family. The painting portrays his partner Camille and their son Jean at a generously laid lunch table. An elegantly dressed woman leans against the window, and a maid looks  through the door. The posh lifestyle pictured here, does not jibe with Monet's tight budget.

Among the other works painted in Étretat, a painting from Hugues Merle drew my attention. Merle has depicted a woman cradling a log of wood in her arms, replacing her dead child. The tragic scene and despair filled viewers’ heart.

Étretat by Other Artists

Let’s shift back to the striking cliffs and sea. The exhibition features other European painters as well. Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, a German landscape painter, travelled to the Normandy coast and carried out a series of oil studies from nature in 1936. In contrast to the often loosely painted atmospheric sketches by his contemporaries, Schirmer’s open-air studies are striking by virtue of the close-up views and the precision of his observations. 

Johann Wilhelm Schirmer

Other painters left impressions to me include Louis Meijer, Henri Matisse and Elger Esser, a German landscape photographer who was born in 1967.

Louis Meijer

Henri Matisse

Elger Esser

 

Apart from the exhibition, many other paintings worth your attention and admiration. Right after the staircase to the exhibition floor stands a painting of Goethe. I might have seen it three decades ago or anywhere else featuring the great writer. Other big names are Vincent van Gogh, Gustave Courbet, Marc Chagall and Monet not depicting Étretat.

 Farm House, Vincent van Gogh

View of River Main, Gustave Courbet

Marc Chagall

Fabulous Museum Terrace with Excellent Views

After appreciating the masterpieces, the last spike is to ascent to the museum terrace for superb views of the surroundings. On the left is a bridge connecting the Museumsurfer or Museum Riverbank to the area of modern buildings forming a new skyline. The views with sunshine detained us there for some time.

Fantastic Pizza with Gorgeous River Views

On the ground level, you can choose to glimpse the 39 museums at the Museum Riverbank by strolling along the river to see people enjoying the sun and river. We picked the latter and enjoyed our last hours with Rimini pizzas along the river Main. A nice end of the day!

The exhibition is up to 5 July 2026. Hope you can make it. Ticket Information

Städel Museum

Schaumainkai 63

60596 Frankfurt am Main

Opening hours

Tue–Sun: 10 am – 6 pm

Thu: 10 am – 9 pm

Mon: closed