I won't be here long, I am working as hard as I can, as I told you [in a letter] yesterday, I am very happy to be here [Etretat, Normandy] and I hope to come up with something good, in any case I will bring lots of studies back with me so I can work on some big things at home.

In his letter from Etretat to his second [future] wife Alice Hoschedé, 1883; as quoted in: K.E. Sullivan. Monet: Discovering Art, Brockhampton press, London (2004), p. 51 - 1870–1890