La Falaise
An oil on board signed lower right Cécile Hertz-Eyrolles (1875–1974). The artist’s name and the address of her Art Nouveau house in Cachan, which also served as her studio, appear on the reverse. The work is titled Falaise. The view likely depicts Dieppe or Étretat, suggested by the distinctive verticality of the Norman cliffs.
A restrained beach scene unfolds beneath a pale, overcast sky. The light feels diffused, midday at slack tide, softening the edges of sand and stone. Rocks in the foreground are rendered with rapid, confident strokes, lending the shore a slightly damp, atmospheric quality. Along the right edge, the sea appears as a narrow band of muted blue, lightly edged with texture.
The cliff dominates the left diagonal of the composition. It is worked in controlled vertical passages, with subtle tonal shifts that suggest mineral depth and erosion without overt detail. The contrast between the structured cliff face and the looser handling of beach and sea gives the painting its quiet tension.
Spare in composition yet visually assured, the work carries a quiet strength. It is signed lower right, a relatively rare gesture for the artist, who more commonly applied a discreet circular studio stamp.
“Painting was my first passion; its language, the emotions I feel - it all tempts and delights me.” -Cécile Hertz-Eyrolles (1875–1974).
- Overall size: 12.9" x 18.1"/ 33cm x 46cm.
- Country: France.
- Provenance: Cécile Hertz-Eyrolles' studio in Cachan.
- Artist's active period: Circa 1900 to 1946.
- Signed: In the lower right Cécile Hertz-Eyrolles (1875–1974).
- Materials: Oil on hardboard.
- Condition: The work shows slight wear to the corners and the pictorial layer presents traces and marks. The edges are in good condition and suggest that the piece has never been framed.
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