What with its majestic cliffs, shingle beaches, enchanting valleuses (short steep natural depressions in the cliffs) and fishing villages, Normandy’s Côte d’Albâtre (or Alabaster Coast) can lead you on an authentic Impressionist adventure. From Dieppe to Étretat, marvel at the breathtaking landscapes bathed in shifting light so celebrated by the Impressionists and almost unaltered since their times. From 1824, thanks to the fashion set by the aristocratic Duchess of Berry, Dieppe was transformed into a seaside resort. What with its many attractions, it rapidly drew painters such as Turner, Isabey, Courbet, Delacroix, Morisot, Pissarro and Renoir, no less. Fécamp followed suit in 1832, seeing the opening of a bathing establishment and a casino. The curves of its cliffs attracted another Impressionist, in the person of Claude Monet, who would paint over 100 canvases depicting coastal scenes between Dieppe and Varengeville.
On a creative mission, the Master of Impressionism then took on what might be termed Normandy’s Everest – little Étretat! This unique port with its iconic hollow chalk needle had already caught artists Eugène Boudin and Gustave Courbet in its nets, the latter depicting the coast and its waves here on over 50 occasions.