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

Blue water - seascape, water, Skyline, ocean

Minimalism seascape - blue lake, water, Skyline, ocean

Light on the water 39

Ripples under the Surface

Oraison

Roses by the sea

Evening Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Landscape 131

Carpes Koïs

Scarlet Sail

Glimmering Waves

Look the ocean

Transformation

Infini

Paysage ostréicole

Infini

Ensemble pour un voyage

Le cabanon rose

Wild ocean

Touch III

Walking on dreams

Sea of dreams

Nirvana

Sable d’or

Le Confident Gonflable

Morning Venice and the Gondolier

Aux premières lueurs de l’aube... (Esprit Voile)

Le temps qui passe…III (Esprit voile)

Au lever du jour... (Esprit voile 2021)

À bon port... (Esprit voile 2022)

Evening Venice

Walk. Seascape original painting

French Riviera Series - turquoise seascape horizon impressionsm

Silver shimmering

From the Series Blue Lagoon Ocean 2482023

From the Series Blue Lagoon Ocean 2492023

From the Series Blue Lagoon Ocean 2092023

Subsidence

Almost Abstract Landscape - 1 (Ocean)

Sea III

Romantic Night Sailing L 3

Whisper of the Tides

La lumière te trouvera toujours

La soeur du vent

What I saw behind the dunes

Sardinia. Porto Pollo_7

Energy of the sea.

Soleil cuisant

Il y a ...

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

Magic of the French Riviera

Golden sunset of Monaco

Indigo

Sea. Light 10.

Sunset magic 5.

Fabulous gentle sea.us gentle sea.

Affectionate waves

Ocean 2.

Ocean. Beach.

Sud

Ella

Ginestart

A travers les pins - Calanque du port d'Alon

Rêverie... (Esprit Voile)

À marée basse... (Esprit Voile)