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

Shell Design Sculpture

Looking into the Depth

Lacanau Beach mini

La vague

Dive into the Blue - Jumping

Faro notturno I

Spiaggia e bandiera

Charter Ketch

Mer Rouge - Collection Vibrations

Tempête - Collection Vibrations

Vibrations - Collection Vibrations

Mer - Collection Femme à la Peau Bleue

Whale

Whale Tail

Dinner on the terrace in Provence

Fish Expression

In the Bay

Paysage de la dune

Paysage du bassin

Seagulls on the move

Orage à Punta-Cana

Course en mer... (Esprit Voile)

Arrival at the beach

Jour de voile...

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

Sunshine setwaves

Balade

Rocky coast

Acoustics

Glare Study III

Red Sand

When the sea merges with the sky.

Winter coast

Plazhut

Sea walk 2

Inquiring Wave

Voiles au vent

Rivage ensoleillé

Mouillage au sud

Entre les vagues

Nues V

Permafrost

Blue Lagoon

The Beach in Corfu

Cloudy night

Evening Venice

Walk along the embankment

Stay wild

In the dark

Night in blue

Full moon time

Morning calm

Blue abstract painting BC458

Blue abstract painting SL433

Light #4

Light #21

Blue #40

Le dernier retour de la lune

Peaceful beach

Vacances en Provence

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AV_Miami_016

Moonlit night at sea

Night storm

The Path to the Sun

Sunset in the Port