Rock Needle Seen through the Porte d'Aval, Étretat

In late 1885 Monet took up residence in Étretat, a small fishing village and resort town on the Normandy coast, where he likely began this painting. He later shipped it with some fifty other canvases to his Giverny studio where he continued work, signing it in 1886. The lighting and tide conditions correspond to late afternoon, as the sun sets behind the cliff.