In this work Monet seems to record not just a visual impression of the sea coast at Varengeville but an emotional impression as well. Place was very important to Monet throughout his long career. He often spent months in a specific location painting many canvases.

Here at Varengeville, the small building is seen from a distance across a gorge making it appear very lonely and isolated. Once used by military officers to enforce taxes on goods shipped by sea, the little house was no longer in use by the time Monet painted it. Tucked in to the topography it seems to meld with nature.