{"product_id":"falaises-temps-gris-by-claude-monet","title":"Falaises, temps gris by Claude Monet","description":"Claude Monet\u003cbr\u003e 1840–1926 | French \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eFalaises, temps gris\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Signed “Claude Monet” (lower right)\u003cbr\u003e Oil on canvas \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Painted along the dramatic Normandy coastline, \u003cem\u003eFalaises, temps gris (Cliffs, Stormy Weather)\u003c\/em\u003e captures Claude Monet at a moment of creative daring and technical brilliance. Executed circa 1882, the work embodies the artist’s mastery of atmosphere and motion, as shifting light and sea spray dissolve the boundary between sky and shore. Monumental in conception yet intimate in tone, the painting reflects Monet’s relentless pursuit of the ever-changing effects of nature—a hallmark that would define the Impressionist revolution. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This seascape was painted during Monet’s extended stay at Pourville-sur-Mer near Dieppe, a period he described as intoxicating in its beauty and energy. Facing the blustery Channel coast, Monet positioned himself perilously close to the surf, painting en plein air amid the wind and salt air. In \u003cem\u003eFalaises, temps gris\u003c\/em\u003e, the composition balances the solidity of the ochre and violet cliffs with the rhythmic movement of the turquoise and jade waves. The color harmonies shift subtly across the surface, dissolving forms into pure sensation and evoking both the strength and transience of the sea. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Monet’s Normandy period was crucial to his artistic development. Having grown up near Le Havre, he returned to these northern shores throughout the 1880s to explore the relationship between weather, light and reflection. Works from this series—including \u003cem\u003eFalaises à Pourville\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eMarine, Pourville\u003c\/em\u003e—reveal the artist’s increasing focus on serial observation, anticipating his later explorations of Rouen Cathedral and the water lilies of Giverny. The period’s importance has been affirmed by scholars and institutions alike, including the 2024–25 exhibition Monet on the Normandy Coast, organized by the Musée d’Orsay and the Städel Museum. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Acquired directly from Monet by his dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, \u003cem\u003eFalaises, temps gris\u003c\/em\u003e later entered several distinguished American collections and was exhibited in some of the earliest U.S. Impressionist exhibitions. Its enduring provenance and inclusion in major scholarly catalogues by Daniel Wildenstein attest to its rarity and significance within Monet’s oeuvre. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dated 1882 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Canvas: 20 5\/8\" high x 27 7\/8\" wide (52.39 x 70.80 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Frame: 30 1\/4\" high x 37 3\/8\" wide x 3 1\/2\" deep (76.84 x 94.93 x 8.89 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/rau-sfimages.s3.amazonaws.com\/dossier\/Dossier_32-1374.pdf\" target=\"new\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eView the Dossier\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Paul Durand-Ruel, Paris and New York, acquired c. 1888\u003cbr\u003e Alden W. Kingman, New York, acquired c. 1891\u003cbr\u003e Paul Durand-Ruel, New York, acquired in 1896\u003cbr\u003e Cyrus J. Lawrence, New York, acquired in 1898\u003cbr\u003e Sale of the above; The American Art Association, 21–22 Jan. 1910, lot 72\u003cbr\u003e Paul Durand-Ruel, acquired at the above sale\u003cbr\u003e Mrs. Albert L. Webster, New York, acquired from the above in 1910\u003cbr\u003e Sale of the above; The American Art Association, 28–29 Jan. 1926, lot 175\u003cbr\u003e Paul Durand-Ruel, acquired at the above sale\u003cbr\u003e Sale of the above; Galerie Charpentier, Paris, 7–8 Dec. 1954, lot 37\u003cbr\u003e Philippe Tiranty, Nice, acquired at the above sale\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection, Switzerland, by 1971\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection, London\u003cbr\u003e Private Collection, Hong Kong\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exhibited:\u003cbr\u003e New York, Union League Club, Monet, 12–15 Feb. 1891, no. 49 (loaned by A.W. Kingman, as The Cove)\u003cbr\u003e New York, The Lotos Club, Monet, Jan. 1899, no. 12 (loaned by Cyrus J. Lawrence, as Falaises à Dieppe)\u003cbr\u003e Lausanne, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Monet, 17 June–20 Nov. 2011, no. 25, pp. 82–83 (dated c. 1882–86, illustrated) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature:\u003cbr\u003e Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. II, Paris, 1979, no. 720, pp. 64–65 (illustrated)\u003cbr\u003e Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné, vol. II, Cologne, 1996, no. 720, pp. 264, 268–269 (illustrated)","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51803560640834,"sku":null,"price":6985000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/5376\/6978\/files\/32-1374_1_d6302c56-5cb6-4f3f-9e65-5a5dbdb84e56.png?v=1768102581","url":"https:\/\/www.bullvendors19.com\/ar\/products\/falaises-temps-gris-by-claude-monet","provider":"Bull Vendors 19","version":"1.0","type":"link"}