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

Moods 1

Seaside Play

Cap au Sud

Goldfish XLV

Goldfish XLII

Goldfish XLIII

Sea water heals everything!))

Hot Evening

Evening rest

Fluid horizon XIV

Fluid horizon XLI

Ecume

Harbor of Serenity

Wind and Waves

Gray moon

Moon rise

Bright sunset

Sea colors

Blue times

Sea Spray (Sjøsprøyt)

Kaleidoscopio Alado XIII

Kaleidosopio Alado X

Marée haute

Adrift in Gold

Dessa ljuvliga kvällar

Vinterbad

life is a dream

Quiet evening in the Old Port

Odessa Yachts

What is the sea singing about in a shell?

Evening city over the sea bay. The triptych. An atmospheric seascape in blue

Beautiful Sea Sunset

Landing

Ile d'Aix n°5 (paysage marin semi-abstrait, mer, vagues, ciel, nuages)

Plage du Roux n°24 (mer, océan)

Colorful Sunrise - Seascape

Vagues sur mer

La Dolce Vita

Summer in Tossa de Mar

Reflection

Venise

Face à la Mer

Sunset 07

Veil of Rest

On the pier

Roses and fruits on the shore

Deux sucres

Blue sky and water

Seascape blue minimalism - Sunset, skyline, turquoise waves

Tallin, seascape, red, blue, water

Tallin, sea

Côte bretonne

Monastere fortifie

La corniche d'or

Pines près de la mer en Bretagne

Rocky shore

Sunset vibes

Ginger Addict

A New Day

Deep blue

Near the sea

Aquatic Blues

Soft Blues

Deep Sea Green

Sunny Beach, pine trees and agaves

Sad city