Artwork
The Cliffs at Beg-ar-Fry, Saint-Jean-du-Doigt
The Cliffs at Beg-ar-Fry, Saint-Jean-du-Doigt is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Maxime Maufra. It dates from 1898 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 60.
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 60.0 cm by 73.3 cm. It was created in France in 1895 and signed by Maxime Maufra. The surface bears the artist's handling evident in the layered brushwork that defines the cliffside forms, while the overall composition emphasizes dramatic verticality and atmospheric depth. These formal qualities reflect Maufra's Post-Impressionist approach to landscape, combining vivid color modulation with a structured yet expressive rendering of natural topography.
History & Provenance
Maxime Maufra created The Cliffs at Beg-ar-Fry, Saint-Jean-du-Doigt in 1895. Executed in oil on canvas, the work was produced in France. The painting later entered the collection of Jeptha Homer Wade II. It subsequently became part of the holdings of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1966.382.
The Cliffs at Beg-ar-Fry, Saint-Jean-du-Doigt is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work carries the accession number 1966.382 and entered the museum's holdings through the estate of Jeptha Homer Wade II. Created in 1895, this oil painting on canvas depicts a scene from France.
Legacy
Maxime Maufra's 1895 oil painting The Cliffs at Beg-ar-Fry, Saint-Jean-du-Doigt entered the Cleveland Museum of Art collection through the bequest of Jeptha Homer Wade II, where it remains on view. The work's composition of rugged Breton coastline influenced subsequent regional landscape painters seeking to capture Atlantic light, and its inclusion in the museum's holdings has ensured continued scholarly attention to Maufra's role in post-Impressionist French marine scenery.
Overview
Maxime Maufra’s 1898 oil on canvas, titled The Cliffs at Beg‑ar‑Fry, Saint‑Jean‑du‑Doigt, depicts a rugged coastal landscape. The work is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed among other late‑19th‑century French paintings.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a steep, verdant cliff that dominates the left side of the canvas, its silhouette cutting into a sky of muted clouds. Below, turbulent waves break against a scatter of jagged rocks, while the open sea recedes into deep blue tones, suggesting the power of nature along the Breton shoreline.
Context
Maufra, associated with the Pont‑Aven circle, often explored the Breton coast, drawing inspiration from its dramatic light and terrain. This work aligns with the broader trend among French painters of the 1890s to capture the raw, untamed aspects of nature, moving away from idealized pastoral scenes toward more visceral representations.
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