
Méandres bleu et sable
Sophie Dumont
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 2,823
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 - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 2,823
Painting - 97 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 38.2 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch
CHF 1,947
Painting - 48 x 55 x 1 cm Painting - 18.9 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
CHF 1,266
Painting - 60 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch
CHF 487 CHF 438
Painting - 50 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
CHF 2,074
Painting - 40 x 40 x 5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 2 inch
CHF 1,558
Painting - 127 x 127 x 7.6 cm Painting - 50 x 50 x 3 inch
CHF 634
Painting - 31 x 23 x 3 cm Painting - 12.2 x 9.1 x 1.2 inch
CHF 380
Painting - 38.1 x 53.3 x 0.3 cm Painting - 15 x 21 x 0.1 inch
CHF 518
Painting - 92 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 2,921
Painting - 30 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
CHF 1,276
Painting - 50.8 x 38.1 x 0.1 cm Painting - 20 x 15 x 0 inch
CHF 3,797
Painting - 54 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 21.3 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch
CHF 940
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
CHF 609
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
CHF 487
Painting - 50 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 886
Painting - 70 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 1,606
Painting - 49.8 x 49.8 x 4.1 cm Painting - 19.6 x 19.6 x 1.6 inch
CHF 842
Painting - 40 x 57 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 22.4 x 0 inch
CHF 609
Painting - 73 x 92 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
CHF 2,823
Painting - 110 x 90 x 0.1 cm Painting - 43.3 x 35.4 x 0 inch
CHF 1,042 CHF 938
Painting - 20 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 1,285
Painting - 94 x 120.9 x 4.1 cm Painting - 37 x 47.6 x 1.6 inch
CHF 1,727
Painting - 27.9 x 35.6 x 0.8 cm Painting - 11 x 14 x 0.3 inch
CHF 932
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
CHF 7,399 CHF 6,660
Painting - 31 x 17 x 0.5 cm Painting - 12.2 x 6.7 x 0.2 inch
CHF 1,180
Painting - 54 x 73 x 4 cm Painting - 21.3 x 28.7 x 1.6 inch
CHF 584
Painting - 81 x 65 x 4 cm Painting - 31.9 x 25.6 x 1.6 inch
CHF 10,126
Painting - 75 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 29.5 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
CHF 1,460
Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
CHF 1,986 CHF 1,788
Painting - 76.2 x 152.4 x 3.8 cm Painting - 30 x 60 x 1.5 inch
CHF 2,123
Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 383 CHF 345
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
CHF 117
Painting - 31.5 x 43 x 0.5 cm Painting - 12.4 x 16.9 x 0.2 inch
CHF 1,380
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
CHF 5,160
Painting - 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
CHF 112
Painting - 20 x 20 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0 inch
CHF 146
Painting - 50 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 321
Painting - 70 x 100 x 1 cm Painting - 27.6 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch
CHF 4,376
Painting - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
CHF 234
Painting - 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
CHF 370
Painting - 40 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
CHF 365
Painting - 36 x 36 x 4 cm Painting - 14.2 x 14.2 x 1.6 inch
CHF 519
Painting - 28.6 x 38.7 x 0.5 cm Painting - 11.25 x 15.25 x 0.2 inch
CHF 2,127
Painting - 92 x 73 x 3 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 1.2 inch
CHF 3,408
Painting - 80 x 120 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 47.2 x 1.2 inch
CHF 4,284
Painting - 32.8 x 19.8 x 0.3 cm Painting - 12.9 x 7.8 x 0.1 inch
CHF 3,828
Painting - 162.6 x 132.1 x 3.8 cm Painting - 64 x 52 x 1.5 inch
CHF 6,380
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
CHF 1,645
Painting - 81 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 31.9 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
CHF 847
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
CHF 1,937
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 682
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
CHF 682
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
CHF 7,146
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
CHF 1,645
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.
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.
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.
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