A curving beach stretches from the lower right foreground to the center of the scene, bordered by steep cliffs that rise sharply on the right edge. Small boats, some with reddish sails and others uncovered, are scattered along the pale sand, clustered near the water’s edge and receding into the distance. The sea occupies the left half of the composition, rendered in layered strokes of blue, green, and turquoise, with reflections and ripples visible on the surface.

Near the shore, two boats with reddish sails float on the water, their forms loosely defined by dabs of color. The cliffs on the right display vertical bands of orange, pink, and blue, their surfaces textured with broad, varied brushstrokes. In the distance, the headland known as the Falaise d'Amont appears in pale yellow and peach tones, set against a sky filled with billowing clouds.

The sky above is painted in soft gradations of blue and green, with clouds tinged in pink, orange, and white, echoing the colors found in the landscape below. The artist’s signature, 'Claude Monet 85', is visible in orange at the lower right corner of the canvas. The composition leads the viewer’s gaze along the curve of the beach toward the distant cliff, while the boats and water create a sense of depth and movement. Claude Monet created Étretat: The Beach and the Falaise d'Amont in 1885, depicting the beach of Étretat and the Porte d'Amont on the northern coast of France.

According to the Art Institute of Chicago, Monet painted this view during the fall and winter of 1885, when the town was quiet and the beach was largely empty except for a small group of local fishing boats. The museum notes that Étretat was a popular tourist destination, but Monet chose to visit during the offseason with his family. This painting is one of thirty-five works in the Winterbotham Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. The work was previously owned by several collectors and dealers, including Bongniat et Cie, Bernheim-Jeune in Paris, and Durand-Ruel in both Paris and New York.

Chester Johnson of Chicago acquired the painting in 1929, and Mrs. Anne R. Winterbotham gave it to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1964, where it later became part of the Joseph Winterbotham Collection. Étretat: The Beach and the Falaise d'Amont has appeared in a number of exhibitions, including shows in Boston, Cincinnati, Tulsa, and several at the Art Institute of Chicago, such as 'Paintings by Monet' in 1975 and 'Monet and Chicago' in 2020–2021.