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

Moon vawe

Diana 's Grotto

Midday

Wind and Waves

Gray moon

Moon rise

Bright sunset

Sea colors

Blue times

Sea Spray (Sjøsprøyt)

Marzo

Marée haute

Adano

life is a dream

Quiet evening in the Old Port

Evening near the lighthouse

Calm sea

Evening in Lazurny

Near the yacht club

Stormy evening

On the pier

View of Cape Meganom

Sea

Night tide

Deux sucres

Beautiful Sea Sunset

Coi

Seagulls

Coi

Boat, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Sunset

Sea

Landing

L'île d'Aix n°18 (paysage bord de mer, vagues, ciel, nuages)

L'île Helene - Abstraction, exploration de paysages émotionnels

Colorful Sunrise - Seascape

Roses and fruits on the shore

Vague frontale

Wild Ocean

Life is a Beach

Vagues sur mer

Neon Pangea

Wild Beach

Harbor in Motion

Encre de Mer

Etude en Normandie

Côte bretonne

Pines près de la mer en Bretagne

Face à la Mer 15 - 19 Mai

Face à la Mer

Ensemble

Ronde koïs

Kois

Banc vert - Green fish

Delicate sunset. Port of Bali

Golden Mooring

Mediterranean Daydream

Sea. Morning

Veil of Rest

Tempête

Harbor of Serenity

Tempestuous Waters

Ocean Blossoms

Monastere fortifie

La corniche d'or

Tropiques-perroquet