Rene de Saint-Delis

Etretat – The Artists – de Saint-Delis, Rene

This page forms part of a series of pages dedicated to the many artists who worked in Etretat. A full list of all the artists with a link to their works can be found at the bottom of this page.

Rene de Saint-Delis
Rene de Saint-Delis

Movement(s): Impressionism

Rene de Saint-Delis, 1876 – 1958, was a French painter influenced by the Impressionist movement. He was born in the North of France (Pas-de-Calais) and died in Etretat, Normandy.

His father, an army officer, died in 1881 causing his mother to move to Le Havre with her four children. One of his young brothers, Henri de Saint-Delis, also became an artist-painter.

At his high school in Le Havre, his best friend was the now famous painter Othon Friesz. Attending subsequent art schools, he friended the other famous Le Havre painter, Raoul Dufy.

During WWI he was stationed in Etretat as bookkeeper for the hospital where he met his wife, a nurse. He married her and stayed in Etretat.

He travelled a lot to Switzerland to visit his sick brother who was diagnosed with tuberculosis. There, he painted several Swiss landscapes together with his brother.

NOTE: Click on any image below for a bigger version (no new window will open).

NOTE: A black box like this one, means that there is an explanation text about today’s situation of the painting above it.
NOTE: Click on this photo icon anywhere below a painting to see a photo of what the area looks like today.

NOTE: A blue box like this one, means there is an explanation or a note.

???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - Dry boat in Etretat
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – Dry boat in Etretat

NOTE: Etretat does not have an harbor but has fishing boats. They are dragged onto the beach when not in use.

???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - Etretat, the cliffs
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – Etretat, the cliffs

NOTE: The Porte d’Amont is a sea arch that lies to the right of the beach of Etretat.

???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - Fisherman mending his nets, Etretat
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – Fisherman mending his nets, Etretat
???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - Fishermen in Etretat
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – Fishermen in Etretat
???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - Heavy weather in Etretat
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – Heavy weather in Etretat

TODAY: The Porte d’Aval is the most visible of three sea arches at Etretat. It lies to the left of the Etretat beach.

???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - Liberty ships at anchor off Etretat
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – Liberty ships at anchor off Etretat
???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - Shoreline in Etretat
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – Shoreline in Etretat
???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - Spring in Etretat
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – Spring in Etretat
???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - the caloges in Etretat
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – the caloges in Etretat

NOTE: A caloge is a former fishing boat, covered with a roof, used to keep fishing materials dry.

???? - Rene de Saint-Delis - the l'Aval cliffs
???? – Rene de Saint-Delis – the l’Aval cliffs

Rene de Saint-Delis painted mostly in Normandy. These are the places where he painted (a link “” to his works will appear below when published):

Etretat is the second most popular and visited place in Normandy (the first being Mont Saint-Michel). And since it was popular, many artists came here to be inspired by its nature and scenic environments. Here is a list of artists who worked in Etretat (a link “⇠” to their work will appear when published).

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Today: Porte d'Amont seen from the beach
Today: Porte d’Amont seen from the beach
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Today: Porte d'Aval seen from the beach
Today: Porte d’Aval seen from the beach
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