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

Dieux des mers

Les 2 plongeurs

Lueur d'azur

Ciel changeant

Plage à marée basse

Morning of the sea

Un soir à Natashquan Canada

Littoral normand

Dreams in Pastel Light (ready to hang)

La bise ultime

Light’s First Kiss

Transparence

Serenity

L'Envolée Secrète

Depth of Serenity

Le calme de l'horizon

Formentera, Parasol Rouge

Landscapes 152

Untitled (Calm Landscape)

Dawn Dream Desire (stretched)

Above the sea

Sea etude

Tramontana

Une Belle Journée

Entre ciel et mer

Plage de Saint-Aubin

AV_Adria_010

Reflux

Landscape 2

Path Through the Sky (ready to hang)

Landscape 1

The Wave of Change

Ciel de traine en Normandie

la cote Normande

Paix en mer... (esprit voile 2022)

Paysage côtier

Hope Of Deliverance

Seascape blue minimalism - Sunset, skyline, turquoise waves

Brise marine

Ferragosto

Breathe, Think, Love

Immerse ourselves in the present moment

Always choose Delight

Pearls

My Ferrari, my Louboutins and my holidays

Je t'aime mon village

Summer Wind 11

Lumières du rivage

Cactus

Old bath

Searching for the sea

Boiling Bubbles North

Serenity Unbound (ready to hang)

Norman beach

Seascape Landscape, Sea Painting - Monet Cliff

Transparency of thoughts

Hope Of Deliverance (Orange)

Les falaises grises

Cognizant

Boiling Bubbles South

Stenpiren

Series Between Heaven and Earth - turquoise blue abstraction

Les voiliers de l’aurore...III (Esprit Voile)

Apnoe

Les voiliers de l'aurore... I (Esprit Voile)

Reflets du matin... (Esprit Voile)