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

Vagues

September

Aqua alta

Sans titre

Beauport

Sans titre (diptyque)

View From The Tate

Snorkelling In The Shallows

Night life

Mer et silhouettes 026

Childhood

Bright Sea

Lake Ossiach

Banquette de posidonies

Ensablement des posidonies

My dream

Pampelonne

Ensemble

Ronde koïs

Kois

Banc vert - Green fish

Tropics Painting Coral Reef Fish Original Oil on Canvas Impasto Painting

Endless horizons

Bait Ball Sardines

Ocean's Rhythm

Whale

Azure Serenity: A Moment of Calm

Golden Horizon: Embrace of Earth and Sky

Emerald Horizon: Depths of Tranquility

Azure Horizon: A Burst of Serenity in Blue Hues

Seascape

Ocean's Embrace: A Majestic Blue Vista

Deep Dive: Immersive Blue Ocean Energy

Bay

Maï Aqui ?

Rêverie en bleue

En voie de disparition IV

Fisher boy

Seascape sailing impressions L 6

Kermouster

Sea I

Sunshine setwaves

Full Calm

Evening Naousa

Cabin close to the ocean

Au bout de l'océan

Evening Riomaggiore

Silence on the Sea

Stay wild

In the dark

Coast

Seaside

En tête à tête... (Esprit voile 2016)

Les reflets du ciel et de la mer... (Esprit voile 2024)

Douceurs de vivre...

Evening Beach, La Garoup, Antibes

Boats at the pier

Leitmotif sur une Ondulation I (paysage marin abstrait, mer, vagues)

The Black Sea - summer seascape painting

Ozhiko

AV_Versilia_009

AV_Fishfarms_002

AV_Adria_020

Comet YK

L'heure bleue en route

Blue sky and water