Description

Belle-Île, a small island off the southern shore of Brittany, was known for its dramatic cliffs, rock formations, and grottoes. As he often did, Claude Monet misjudged the time he would need to explore and capture the beauty of the place, which he variously called “lugubrious,” “terrifying,” and “very beautiful.” He came for two weeks and stayed for more than two months. This canvas is one of a group depicting the frieze of rock formations known as Port-Goulphar.

Provenance

The artist (d. 1926); sold to Durand-Ruel, Paris, Dec. 21, 1892, for 4,500 francs [this and the following per Durand-Ruel, Paris, stock book for 1891–1901 (no. 2542), as confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file]; sold to Durand-Ruel, New York, Dec. 19, 1895 or Jan. 4, 1896 [see previous and New York stock book for 1894–1905 (no. 1515, as Belle Isle), both confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file; The Paris and New York Durand-Ruel stock books record different dates for the sale]; sold to Mrs. Harriet Borland (née Blair, d. 1933), Chicago, Mar. 6, 1897, for $2,000 [per Durand-Ruel, New York, stock book for 1894–1905 (no. 1515), as confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file]; by to her son Chauncey Blair Borland, Chicago, 1933; given by Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey B. Borland, Chicago, to the Art Institute of Chicago, beginning in 1964 [The painting was given to the Art Institute of Chicago in undivided fractional interests beginning in 1964. The Art Institute received the final fractional interest for one hundred percent ownership in 1973.]