Falaises côtières, Normandie

This large sheet is a fine example of Schuffenecker’s mastery of pastel, which he used with considerable skill throughout his career. The drawing may be dated to the 1880s or early 1890s, when Schuffenecker produced a number of paintings and pastels of coastal views in Brittany and Normandy, particularly near Yport and Étretat. The pastel landscapes of this period are among Schuffenecker’s finest works in this demanding medium.

A number of similar pastel drawings by Schuffenecker of cliffs at Étretat and elsewhere are in the collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Brest, Tate Modern in London and the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.