A Cliff Shaped Like an Elephant: Courbet's Étretat

Étretat is a small coastal town in northwestern France, familiar to many Korean travelers as a stop along the way to Mont-Saint-Michel. The dramatic cliff formation in this painting is nicknamed the "Elephant Cliff" for its resemblance to an elephant dipping its trunk into the sea.

True to its title, the painting captures the moment just after a storm has passed — dark clouds retreating in the distance, while the waves below still churn with leftover force.

Courbet moved to this stretch of coast in the summer of 1869 and painted this cliff formation repeatedly during his time there; this canvas is widely considered the standout among that body of work. Étretat's scenery proved so striking that other painters, including Delacroix, Monet, and Eugène Boudin, were drawn to paint it as well.