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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Print, The Surfer, James Chiew

James Chiew

Print - 120 x 180 x 5 cm Print - 47.2 x 70.9 x 2 inch

$10,163

Painting, Crossing over, Vera Hoi

Vera Hoi

Painting - 20 x 20 x 7 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 2.8 inch

$263

Painting, Promenade Azuréenne, ZiB

ZiB

Painting - 33 x 55 x 2.5 cm Painting - 13 x 21.7 x 1 inch

$933

Painting, Ressac, Jorj Morin

Jorj Morin

Painting - 60 x 81 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.9 inch

$4,544

Painting, Rest, Procach Olesia

Procach Olesia

Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$562

Painting, La vague, Virginie Clement

Virginie Clement

Painting - 60 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch

$598

Painting, Waves n°17, Jil Joannin

Jil Joannin

Painting - 40 x 40 x 4 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

$1,255

Painting, Venice, Kristina Mallen

Kristina Mallen

Painting - 39.5 x 39.5 x 1 cm Painting - 15.6 x 15.6 x 0.4 inch

$598

Painting, Petra's Sea, Matt Kirby

Matt Kirby

Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$586

Photography, La Mer XXXVII, Sven Pfrommer

Sven Pfrommer

Photography - 120 x 90 x 3 cm Photography - 47.2 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch

$2,260

Photography, Algas 45-XIX, Paola Dávila

Paola Dávila

Photography - 45 x 45 x 0.3 cm Photography - 17.7 x 17.7 x 0.1 inch

$2,000

Painting, Nightsea, Peter de Boer

Peter de Boer

Painting - 30 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,076

Photography, La Mer XXV, Sven Pfrommer

Sven Pfrommer

Photography - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$2,260

Photography, Seaflower II, Sven Pfrommer

Sven Pfrommer

Photography - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$2,260

Print, Maï Aqui ?, Robert Combas

Robert Combas

Print - 75 x 106 x 1 cm Print - 29.5 x 41.7 x 0.4 inch

$11,957

Print, Sans titre, Man Ray

Man Ray

Print - 50 x 36 x 1 cm Print - 19.7 x 14.2 x 0.4 inch

$5,381

Photography, Tania Mallet, Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography - 101.6 x 101.6 cm Photography - 40 x 40 inch

$4,412

Painting, Tender Sea, Shulyak Tatyana

Shulyak Tatyana

Painting - 72 x 78 x 2 cm Painting - 28.3 x 30.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,375

Painting, Archipelago, Chelsea Davine

Chelsea Davine

Painting - 110 x 110 x 4 cm Painting - 43.3 x 43.3 x 1.6 inch

$5,208

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Francesc Genovés

Francesc Genovés

Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$664

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