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an image of a painting of a lighthouse on a cliff by the oceanan image of a painting of a rocky cliff by the oceanan oil painting of a rocky coast with waves crashing in the foregrounda picture of a picture of a box with a label on ita sculpture of a man standing in front of a white wall
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39 - Gustave COURBET (1819–1877)
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Estimate €20,000 - €30,000
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Description
Gustave COURBET (1819–1877) Small cliff on the right, jutting out towards the left – 1872 Oil on canvas mounted on panel Dated and signed lower left “72 / G. Courbet.” 19 x 24.5 cm Provenance: Auction, Zurich, Koller, 18 March 1999, lot 56  Auction, Pontoise, Martinot-Savignat-Antoine, 5–6 June 1999, lot 67 Acquired at this auction by Antal Post de Bekessy (1943–2015) Then passed down through the family Auction, Paris, Sotheby’s, ‘An American Dynasty in Europe: The Collections of Eleanor Post Close and Antal Post de Bekessy’, 19 December 2017, lot 483 Acquired at this sale by the current owner Louis Grandchamp des Raux Collection Bibliography: *La Gazette Drouot*, no. 20, 14 May 1999, reproduced on p. 144 La Gazette Drouot, no. 25, 18 June 1999, reproduced on p. 166 Oil on canvas laid down on panel, dated and signed lower left; 7 1/2 x 9 5/8 in. Following the events of the Paris Commune, during which he was held responsible for the destruction of the column in the Place Vendôme and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment—a sentence he served first at Sainte-Pélagie prison and then at Dr Duval’s sanatorium in Neuilly— Courbet returned to his home village of Ornans in May 1872, where he fulfilled numerous commissions. He then painted around twenty canvases depicting seascapes, including views of the Normandy cliffs at Étretat, Mouthier and Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. These are works he painted from memory, as he had done whilst in prison, recalling his 1869 stay by the sea. This is certainly the case with our *Petite falaise*, which is thought to be set in Normandy. This period of ‘seascapes’, as the artist himself described them, began in 1865. The artist then turned away from the summer Mediterranean to focus on autumnal Normandy and its ever-changing skies. It was during this period that he produced his famous series of *Waves*. The painter builds up his canvases with colour and uses a dense texture, which he applies generously, often with a palette knife, as if to emphasise his disdain for the meticulous finish characteristic of academic practice. Here, the artist demonstrates his ability to constantly renew his perspective on nature, with an intensity heightened by the act of recollection. The authenticity of this work was confirmed by Jean-Jacques Fernier in a letter dated 28 October 1998. A copy may be provided to the purchaser. Gustave COURBET (1819–1877) 19 x 24.5 cm Following the events of the Paris Commune, during which he was held responsible for the destruction of the column on Place Vendôme and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment—a sentence he served first at Sainte-Pélagie and then at Dr Duval’s asylum in Neuilly— Courbet returned to his native village of Ornans in May 1872, where he fulfilled numerous commissions. He went on to paint around twenty canvases depicting seascapes, including views of Normandy such as the cliffs of Étretat and those of Mouthier or Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. These are works he executed from memory, as he had done whilst in prison, recalling his stay by the seaside in 1869. This is certainly the case with our *Petite Falaise à Droit*, whose location could well be in Normandy. This period of ‘seascapes’, as Courbet himself defined them, began in 1865. The artist had turned his back on the summery Mediterranean in favour of autumnal Normandy and its ever-changing skies. It was during this period that he produced *Vagues*, his famous series of waves. The painter built up his canvases with colour, using a dense impasto, which he applied generously, often with a palette knife, as if to emphasise his disdain for the meticulous finish characteristic of academic practice. Here, the artist demonstrates his ability to constantly renew his vision of nature with an intensity heightened by the act of remembering.
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About the sale The Louis Grandchamp des Raux Collection
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 4:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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