Sea

Majestic and tyrannical, the sea has never ceased to fascinate artists. Untameable, this force of nature seems to have a life of its own and has inspired many artists. Since antiquity, the sea has been represented in all its glory, century after century it is honoured through various styles and colours. However, this desire to escape to the great outdoors is certainly not only reserved for 21st century painters

Maritime art began at the same time as history painting - in the 15th century, and they share many common traits. Maritime painting mostly depicts scenes of combat, historical incidents and mythology where people play a crucial role. It wasn't until the 17th century that artists stopped depicting people in their seascapes and focused solely on the representation of the landscape itself instead.

In the Middle Ages, shipwrecks and storms terrorised citizens as they interpreted them as signs of God's wrath. he church even used images of the rough sea to hold power over its believers.

Representations in classical painting were strictly governed by academic rules, and often didn't manage to convey true emotion. Maritime scenes joined the mainstream in the 19th century, especially with the arrival of the Romantic period as emotions played a much greater role in marine painting. The two great masters of the period were J.M.W Turner and Caspar David Friedrich who captured the attention of their contemporaries and whose works continue to mesmerise us today.

For the impressionists, the sea was a sublimation of nature. During the 19th century, artists come out of their studios in order to paint and describe nature as they saw and feel it. By the end of the 19th century, the sea was no longer a simple, blue expanse but rather an eruption of emotions illuminated through painting.

Contemporary art offers a new insight into creation. Today, the technique is overrun by the message and intention of the work. Therefore, we find all varieties of sea illustrations where the sea becomes an image of contemporary creation. Even though the sea is sometimes reinvented, it remains true to reality.

The new generation of contemporary artists create works that depict freshness, escape, lost coves, waves, and that salty seaside air. Discover our selection inspired by ocean waters.

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Categories

Subcategories

Sea

Le spi

Off the Point

On the Seashore

Midnight Tide

Diptyque phares

Beautiful Day

Sans titre

Lovely Bretagne

Ultimo scoglio

On the rock

French Riviera Series 2024 - seascape horizon blue

Baie Ronan

Deep blue Waves - water seascape

American trails

AV_Adria_023

Hope Of Deliverance (Orange)

When the Light Returns

Catch the trade winds

LA BAULE, SOUVENIR

Paysage côtier

L'océan cyan

Formentera Beach 10

Svensk västkust

Whisper of the tide

Golden waters of Venice

Sunny shore

Landscape 81

Essaouira, un air d'Océan

Meadown

Arone 011

Sea that hears the silence

La barque blanche

La bouée

Rivage

Sous le vent

Cabanons des pêcheurs

Horizon bleu

Arbre rouge

Observe l'océan

Warm evening in Rio de Janeiro

Blue Night water

Summer sunset

Whispers at the Edge of Daybreak (Seaguls and red sunset)

Melody

La Goélette espagnole, gravure originale

Un soir sous les pins

Ocean. Sunset 2.

Venice coast

Parenthèse au crépuscule

Les cabanes tchanquées Arcachon

Vinterljus

Sail boats S 2

Été indien…

Ciel 5

Les uns contre les autres... (Esprit voile)

Les voiliers de l'aurore... (Esprit voile)

The Quiet Infinite (ready to hang)

Camping Paradis

Landscape

Infini

Oceanic soul

Les voiliers de l’aurore...II (Esprit Voile)

Les voiliers de l’aurore... (Esprit Voile)

Jeux de mâts... (Esprit voile)

Le temps qui passe... (Esprit voile)

On sort les voiles