“Fishing Boats in Winter, Etretat” is an artwork crafted by Henri Matisse in 1921. This piece is a representation of the Fauvism art movement and falls under the landscape genre. The painting captures the essence of a coastal scene during winter at Etretat, a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of north-western France.
The artwork portrays a bold and vibrant view of Etretat’s beach during the winter. The landscape features fishing boats nestled on the shore, with their dark forms contrasting against the lighter tones of the beach. The artist has employed a dynamic palette, representative of Fauvism’s characteristic use of intense colors, to recreate the coastal landscape. In the background, one can observe the sea, rendered in varying shades of green, which conveys the lively, albeit cold ocean waters.
The sky, with its turmoil of grey and blue hues reminiscent of winter clouds, suggests a chilly and overcast atmosphere. The foreground is dominated by a striking, warmly-colored stretch, which could be interpreted as the sandy beach, transforming under the winter light or perhaps infused with the colors of the setting or rising sun. Meanwhile, the presence of traditional architecture hugging the sides of the composition lends a human element to the natural scene, reminding viewers of the town’s proximity and its relationship with the sea.
Matisse’s brushwork for “Fishing Boats in Winter, Etretat” has a loose, expressive quality, allowing for a sense of motion and energy throughout the composition, truly capturing the vivacity of the Fauvist movement and providing the artwork with a texture that almost seems to transcend its two-dimensional medium.
