Many early English beachgoers flocked to Normandy, just across the English Channel in France; the beaches at Etretat, Deauville, and Trouville were the most popular. Artists came to the Channel coast seaside for the opportunity to paint scenic locales. Views painted by artists "advertised" Normandy's attractions, and tourists’ enjoyment of local sites, facilitated by easy railroad access, in turn increased demand for landscape painting.