Walking in the Heart of Impressionism Painting - The Cliffs at Etretat

The cliffs at Étretat seem to be a popular subject to paint. They have been painted by several famous artists such as Claude Monet, Eugene Boudin, Gustave Courbet, Gustave Loiseau and Henri Matisse.
The reason the cliffs are such a popular subject to paint is most likely the naturally strong design created by the formation of the cliffs. You have a very strong and unique shape created by the cliffs, which contrasts against the soft shapes and lines created by the shoreline, clouds and any waves. It just seems to tick many boxes in terms of composition.