The Wild Coast, Belle Ile

Description of the artwork

As in many of Henry Moret's and Gustave Loiseau's coastal landscapes, Alcide Le Beau favours a high vantage point, allowing the viewer's gaze to plunge down towards a rocky cove. A steep cliff on the left contrasts with the gentler slopes in the foreground, while a foaming wave breaks at the foot of the rocks.

The brushwork is energetic and luminous, applied in small, thick strokes that make the blues of the sea and sky vibrate and enliven the ochres, mauves and greens of the moors. Offshore, a few red sails dot the horizon, accentuating the impression of depth and the maritime atmosphere. The whole composition creates a scene that is both energetic and contemplative, in which the painter focuses on the movement of the water and the effects of light on the coast.