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

Yachts

Storm

Before the storm

Shine of space

Night in the bay

Sea Lights

Eternity

Stormy Sea

Sea coast of Australia

Rocky coast

Night shine

Twelve Apostles, Australia

Mystic day

Navegante

Small oasis

Still life with fish

Forest to Path

Rivers Edge

Côté Ouest

Endless Surf. Summer. Ocean

Faro notturno I

Spiaggia e bandiera

Island Life

Untitled 42

Désert

Holidays at sea

Relief Blue 14

Azure sea, quadriptych

Sailing regatta in the storm

Dinner on the terrace in Provence

Serie “Sensaciones” (1)

Dive into painting - Letters N°1

Regatta

L i n e s - Ink Lagoon

Forenoon

Transition I

Whisper

Orchid

Flesh

Poptart

Ilk II

Seven Seas

False Positive

Corpuscles

For Me

Bloodline

Dig

La Mer XXXVII

Thermal Break

Nashville Tornado

Dévastation

Blue field

Contagious

Radiation I

Pizza I

Mutant II

What did I do?

I Forgot

Diamond Star Halo

Worthless Miracle II

Touch IV

Sin I

Heretic I

Torque

Urge

A Nice Spot For Lunch