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

Langueurs océanes

Vers la mer.

Boat at the pier

City at the pier. Riomaggiore

Malibu Shore

Glare Study III

Red Sand

Tropical ocean

Underwater painting out of the fog (was made underwater)

EFI_Beach_012

EFI_Beach_013

EFI_Beach_011

EFI_Beachchairs_012

Baltic_Ice_II_Helsinki_018

Baltic_Ice_II_Helsinki_011

Sea walk 2

Blue Water 2

La Grand Plage

Permafrost

Brant Point

Le souffle. des rêves

Venetian Serenity

Clair de lune

Midcentury Coastal Hues

Paysage Marin 10

Paysage Marin 11

Paysage Marin 12

Paysage Marin 13

Paysage Marin 14

Paysage Marin 16

Paysage Marin 9

Paysage Marin 8

Looking into the Depth

Paysage Marin 6

Paysage Marin 1

La vague

Dive into the Blue - Jumping

Faro notturno I

Spiaggia e bandiera

Charter Ketch

Banc poissons diptyque

Finestra sul mare 381286

Summer Daydream

Acoustics

Whale Tail

Fish Expression

In the Bay

Orage à Punta-Cana

Course en mer... (Esprit Voile)

Jour de voile...

Les voiliers de Croatie... (Esprit voile 2021)

Balade

STRO

Silence No.7

Sea and mountains

Ou l'océan rencontre le ciel

Grotto

Series “Between Heaven and Earth” - turquoise blue

When the sea merges with the sky.

Plazhut

Inquiring Wave

Nues V

Blue Lagoon

The Beach in Corfu

Cloudy night

Evening Venice