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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Sea

Corail kaki

Corail orange et noir

Wild Ocean

Life is a Beach

Vagues sur mer

Neon Pangea

Wild Beach

Harbor in Motion

Encre de Mer

Wonderful Space

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

Sun, Sails, Sea

Mediterranean Daydream

Sea. Morning

Veil of Rest

Tempête

Moon vawe

Diana 's Grotto

Midday

Wave. Original painting

Tempestuous Waters

Ocean Blossoms

Monastere fortifie

La corniche d'or

Tropiques-perroquet

Pascale

Gdansk 03

Landscape in Falconara

City on the water and white sails

The atmosphere of the Venetian city

Scarlet sunset on the ferry

White ahgae landscape

Sunset with seascape

Yellow Sea

Sunset vibes

Passenger ship Carpathia - series Ocean liners

Cargo ships - series Emden

Cargo ship Cap San Diego - series Ships museums

A Terrace with a View of the Sea

Aquatic Blues

Soft Blues

Deep Sea Green

Window to the Ocean

Hawaii Fish Cave

Breath of Antarctica South Africa

The Heroic Rescuer

Tropical Coral Reef Painting Original Ocean Art

Coral Reef Painting Ocean Art Underwater Seascape Original Painting

Red Fish Symphony on Grey

Red Fish in Coral Reef

Florida Keys Fish Painting Coral Reef Impasto Painting Palette Knife Art

Tropiques, oiseaux blancs

Poetic Landscape 9

Plage naturistes

Tant rêvé

Oceania celebration