Beach Paintings for Sale

The beach has always been a destination we jump at the opportunity to explore. It's a destination that for many of us symbolises  holidays, relaxation, calm or even excitement, adventure and stormy weather. Some are drawn to its crowded, noisy, buzzing atmosphere, whilst others are seduced by its silent, contemplative quality that allows for a deeply meditative experience. There is an ideal image of the beach for everyone; whether you're captivated by the chic Côte d'Azur deckchairs, surf lessons in Australia, the wild beaches in Brittany and Normandy, seaside resorts, small Italian coves or the more exotic and tropical locations.

Throughout time, artists have been inspired by the beach in many ways. Each artist has interpreted this huge theme in connection with their era, their artistic identity, the idea they wished to convey and what this location represented for them. 


The beach has been depicted in paintings since the Dutch Golden Age, and is shown in works such as View of Delft by famous baroque artist, Johannes Vermeer. Two centuries later, Gustave Courbet would paint the shores of Trouville and Deauville in Normandy with dazzling realism. The Impressionists would then go on to capture the seaside bathed in light, and most notably would do so “sur le motif": the act of painting outside in natural light and in various weather conditions.  This offered viewers a completely new representation of landscapes, and many Impressionists like Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro remained attached to the seascapes of Normandy. However, other artists would focus on other shores, Van Gogh for example chose to represent La Camargue in his piece Fishing Boats on the Beach at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Monet meanwhile, was inspired by the Côte D'Azur in his painting The Big Blue at Antibes, and Paul Gauguin was captivated by the exotic French Polynesia.  Gauguin created many works inspired by beaches in Tahiti, which is evident in his iconic oil painting Tahitian Women on the Beach. Later, the light and beauty of the Mediterranean would seduce Matisse, who represented the beaches of Nice and the picturesque Collioure shores in his works. His rival Picasso also explored this area, his pieces, Woman Seated on the Beach and Bathers present completely new representations of the beach, where form and colour gradually move away from reality. 


In modern and contemporary art, the beach loses its purpose as an inspiring natural environment and instead becomes a hub of human activity. Roy Lichtenstein's piece Nudes with Beach Ball, demonstrates how the beach has turned into a consumer product for the average holidaymaker. Similarly, Bernard Buffet also paints the seaside packed with human presence; beach cabins, bodies spread out on the sand and parasols dotted across the shores. More recently in 2011, Gianni Colosimo revealed a conceptual art piece called La jolie petite plage de Daniel (Daniel's Pretty Little Beach), which features striped deckchairs inspired by Daniel Buren's columns. Additionally, Ron Mueck installed hyper-realistic human figures made out of resin at the Fondation Cartier in 2013, which illustrated holidaymakers by the sea. Overall, one thing is certain: the beach has not ceased to inspire artistic creation. Artsper invites you to take a well-deserved break and lounge in front of some of the best contemporary art works that have been inspired by a location that is loved by us all.

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Painting, Ibiza, Manuel Perez

Ibiza

Manuel Perez

Painting - 180 x 320 x 0.2 cm Painting - 70.9 x 126 x 0.1 inch

€9,000

Painting, D29295266C, Wo$h

D29295266C

Wo$h

Painting - 60 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

€1,000

Painting, Dreamspot, Peter de Boer

Dreamspot

Peter de Boer

Painting - 200 x 300 x 2 cm Painting - 78.7 x 118.1 x 0.8 inch

€10,000

Painting, Rest, Procach Olesia

Rest

Procach Olesia

Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€470

Painting, Ti'amà, Sophie Duplain

Ti'amà

Sophie Duplain

Painting - 73 x 116 x 2.5 cm Painting - 28.7 x 45.7 x 1 inch

€1,700

Painting, Round Ocean #88, Ana Hefco

Round Ocean #88

Ana Hefco

Painting - 38.1 x 38.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 15 x 15 x 1 inch

€394

Painting, Kobuleti, Gela Keidia

Kobuleti

Gela Keidia

Painting - 50 x 70 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 1 inch

€2,000

Painting, Guidel II, Franck Dupire

Guidel II

Franck Dupire

Painting - 65 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 25.6 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

€1,495

Painting, Morning Mist, Timon Sloane

Morning Mist

Timon Sloane

Painting - 22.9 x 30.5 x 1.3 cm Painting - 9 x 12 x 0.5 inch

€533

Painting, Unnoticed, Timon Sloane

Unnoticed

Timon Sloane

Painting - 22.9 x 30.5 x 1.3 cm Painting - 9 x 12 x 0.5 inch

€533

Painting, Surfing, Trayko Popov

Surfing

Trayko Popov

Painting - 55 x 75 x 0.5 cm Painting - 21.7 x 29.5 x 0.2 inch

€650

Painting, Porquerolles plage, ZiB

Porquerolles plage

ZiB

Painting - 40 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€720

Painting, The beach, Le Closier

The beach

Le Closier

Painting - 91.4 x 121.9 x 2 cm Painting - 36 x 48 x 0.8 inch

€1,808

Painting, Daydream, Alexander Levich

Daydream

Alexander Levich

Painting - 35 x 45 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch

€690

Painting, Lady surf the ocean, MKate

Lady surf the ocean

MKate

Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

€556

Painting, Island, Rinalds Vanadzins

Island

Rinalds Vanadzins

Painting - 62 x 53.8 x 0.5 cm Painting - 24.4 x 21.2 x 0.2 inch

€742

Painting, La Playa, Sylvie Eudes

La Playa

Sylvie Eudes

Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

€3,600

Painting, Overlay, Tharwet Kamoun

Overlay

Tharwet Kamoun

Painting - 46 x 62 x 2.5 cm Painting - 18.1 x 24.4 x 1 inch

€800

Painting, Coastal Calm, Karen Hale

Coastal Calm

Karen Hale

Painting - 101.6 x 101.6 x 3.8 cm Painting - 40 x 40 x 1.5 inch

€4,034

Painting, At the Beach, Trayko Popov

At the Beach

Trayko Popov

Painting - 85.1 x 100.1 x 0.3 cm Painting - 33.5 x 39.4 x 0.1 inch

€2,133

Painting, Summer day, Foti Fotev

Summer day

Foti Fotev

Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

€2,100

Painting, Vol de mouettes, Nicolaï

Vol de mouettes

Nicolaï

Painting - 81 x 116 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 45.7 x 0.8 inch

€3,200

Painting, La terrasse, Nicolaï

La terrasse

Nicolaï

Painting - 73 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch

€2,400

Painting, Ibis au Touquet, Nicolaï

Ibis au Touquet

Nicolaï

Painting - 130 x 97 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 38.2 x 0.8 inch

€3,800

Painting, Daylight, Katrina Avotina

Daylight

Katrina Avotina

Painting - 50 x 59.9 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

€607

Painting, Seascape, Elena Sokolova

Seascape

Elena Sokolova

Painting - 50 x 59.9 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

€503

Painting, Castelo 3, Elena Sokolova

Castelo 3

Elena Sokolova

Painting - 39.9 x 59.9 x 1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

€523

Painting, After surf, Elena Sokolova

After surf

Elena Sokolova

Painting - 50.8 x 71.1 x 1.3 cm Painting - 20 x 28 x 0.5 inch

€594

Painting, Seasalter mud, Terry Watts

Seasalter mud

Terry Watts

Painting - 60 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch

€1,487

Painting, Roun Ocean #87, Ana Hefco

Roun Ocean #87

Ana Hefco

Painting - 38.1 x 38.1 x 2.5 cm Painting - 15 x 15 x 1 inch

€371

Painting, Genoveses, Manuel Perez

Genoveses

Manuel Perez

Painting - 115 x 215 x 0.2 cm Painting - 45.3 x 84.6 x 0.1 inch

€3,800

Need help with Beach Paintings ?
Which artist paints beaches?

One famous artist who painted beaches is Claude Monet. An example of one of his beach paintings is La Plage à Trouville, which he painted in 1870 in Trouville, France.

Why paint the beach?

Artists have represented the beach in paintings for decades. The beach was particularly a popular subject matter during the 20th century, at the beginning of which the beach became a popular holiday spot in France and other parts of Europe.  

What is an example of a beach painting?

One famous example of a painting representing a beach is Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory, which the Surrealist painter produced in 1931. Not the typical idyllic holiday beach painting, Dali's work features enigmatic visual elements like his famous melted clock and a timer with ants crawling over it.