The image shows ocean waves crashing into rocky cliffs from an elevated point of view. Dark, swirling clouds partially obscure the horizon. Bold brushstrokes depict the dynamic water with swirls and dark shapes. The color palette is monochromatic, with deep blacks, grays, and creamy whites. Dark, jagged rocks are in the foreground, contrasting with the sea foam against the cliffs. The scene conveys a sense of power and texture.
Gallery mode Full size at the museum

Window mode follows your eyes with your camera, in this browser only: no picture or position leaves your device.

The Wave (La Vague)

Maxime Maufra (French, 1861 - 1918)

1894

Medium
etching, aquatint, and drypoint with burnishing on tan wove paper
Classification
Print
Dimensions
plate: 34.8 × 54 cm (13 11/16 × 21 1/4 in.) ; sheet: 46.2 × 63.9 cm (18 3/16 × 25 3/16 in.)
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CG-E
Credit line
Purchased for the Virgina and Ira Jackson Collection
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Teens profiles and older: its museum says too little about what it shows to place it for younger viewers. How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art