Álvaro Alcalá Galiano is known for his costumbrista paintings, though he cultivated a wide range of genres throughout his career. The present work is a landscape depicting cliffs and sea. In the foreground, waves break against the rocks, while the surrounding waters remain calm. The artist’s command of light—rooted in the teachings of his master Joaquín Sorolla—is evident in the way he captures a precise moment of the day, conveyed through the orange hues that illuminate the sky. Alcalá Galiano frequently employed the contrast between cool blues and warm oranges in his landscapes, a device also seen in La senda (The Path), now in the collection of the Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Born into an aristocratic family, Álvaro Alcalá Galiano wa...