THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA (NGC), OTTAWA, HAS RECENTLY ACQUIRED A SPECTACULAR MONET MASTERPIECE THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF MONTREAL FINE ARTS' CONNOISSEUR, PHILANTHROPIST AND NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA FOUNDATION PATRON MARJORIE BRONFMAN. CLAUDE MONET'S, 'ROCK NEEDLE SEEN THROUGH THE PORTE D'SVAL', IS CONSIDERED AN INNOVATIVE, DARING AND PROVOCATIVE PAINTING CREATED IN THE REMOTE RESORT TOWN OF ETRETAT TOWARDS THE END OF A PRODIGIOUS CAMPAIGN ON THE NORMANDY COAST. IT IS NOW ON VIEW IN THE NGC PERMANENT COLLECTION GALLERIES THAT ARE DEVOTED TO THE REALISTS, IMPRESSIONISTS AND POST-IMPRESSIONISTS. 'THIS PAINTING REFLECTS MARJORIE BRONFMAN'S PASSION FOR ART AND HER EYE FOR EXCELLENCE', SAID NGC DIRECTOR, MARC MAYER. 'WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL TO HER FOR THIS MAGNIFICENT COMPLEMENT TO THE GALLERY'S INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED COLLECTION OF IMPRESSIONIST ART.' CLAUDE MONET IS ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED FRENCH IMPRESSIONISTS. THE PAINTING REPRESENTS A TURING POINT IN THE ARTIST'S CAREER AS HE SOUGHT TO REINTERPRET THROUGH IMPRESSIONIST EYES THE ICONIC FORMS OF THE FRENCH LANDSCAPE. INSPIRED BY THE RUGGED NORMANDY COASTLINE, AND DRIVEN BY THE DESIRE TO SET HIS WORKS APART FROM OTHER GREAT ARTISTS SUCH AS DELACROIX, COROT AND COURBET WHO HAD CAPTURED THE ETRETAT LANDSCAPE BEFORE HIM, MONET TOOK UNPARALLELED RISKS TO CREATE ORIGINAL PERSPECTIVES. PRECIPITOUS CLIFF DESCENTS, SLIPPERY SEAWEED-STREWN ROCKS AND SWIFTLY TURNING TIDES PRESENTED NUMEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE CHALLENGES FOR THE ARTIST. IN ORDER TO PAINT ROCK NEEDLE SEEN THROUGH THE PORTE D'AVAL, MONET ADOPTED AN EXTREMELY AUDACIOUS VANTAGE POINT LOOKING TO THE NORTHWEST FROM THE ROCKS BEYOND THE BEACH WHICH WAS ACCESSIBLE ONLY AT LOW TIDE. IT WAS THUS THAT THE ARTIST WAS ABLE TO ALIGN THE TWO DRAMATIC GEOLOGICAL ROCK FORMATIONS. WHEN EXHIBITED IN PARIS IN 1908 AT THE DURAND-RUEL GALLERIES, ROCK NEEDLE SEEN THROUGH THE PORTE D'AVAL DREW THE ATTENTION OF NUMEROUS ART CRITICS WHO REMARKED UPON ITS COLOUR AND DISTINCTIVE CONTREJOUR.
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