The Bay of Lampaul

Henry Moret settled in Brittany in the 1880s after studying under Gauguin at Pont-Aven, and the rugged coastline of Finistère defined his mature career. The Bay of Lampaul, on the island of Ouessant, was a subject he returned to repeatedly — its dramatic cliffs, churning Atlantic swells, and light-saturated skies providing inexhaustible material. This 1901 canvas, held at MuMa Le Havre, exemplifies his ability to render the wild grandeur of the Breton sea.

Moret works with energetic, directional brushstrokes that follow the movement of water and rock. Blues and greens dominate the sea, while the cliffs are built up in ochres, rusts, and greys. The sky is animated with quick horizontal strokes that echo the wind-driven waves below.