Summer evening on the beach at Skagen. The painter and his wife. (1899) by Peder Severin KrøyerThe Hirschsprung Collection
Grab your brushes and your beach towel, it's time to take an arty trip to the shore! Scroll on to discover some of art history's best beaches, then step through the frame with Street View and use the arrows to explore!
East Hampton Beach, Long Island (1874) by Winslow HomerNational Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Winslow Homer was one of the foremost painters of 19th-century America. He specialised in seaside subjects, and often painted scenes from his own vacations: from hardy fisherman out at sea to lazy days on East Hampton Beach, Long Island.
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East Hampton, Long Island, USA
The long, flat expanse of sand makes it one of the best beaches in the whole country. And it's no surprise that East Hampton has long attracted artists and elites looking to get away from it all.
Under the awning, on the Beach at Zarauz (1905) by Joaquín Sorolla y BastidaSorolla Museum
Joaquín Sorolla's summers were most often spent at the coast, and he became a painter of the new bourgeois fashion of visiting the seaside. This canvas, painted during the summer of 1910 on the beach at Zarautz, Spain, shows the whole Sorolla family relaxing under an awning.
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Zarautz, Spain
Zarautz beach lies on the northern coast of Gipuzkoa, Spain. It received royal approval in 19th Century when Queen Isabella II of Spain made Zarautz her summer getaway. Since then, this 2.5km stretch of golden sand been known as the 'Queen of Beaches'.
Fisherwomen with her son (1908) by Joaquín Sorolla y BastidaSorolla Museum
Sorolla also painted scenes typical of daily life, such as this painting of a fisherwomen with her son. She seems to be waiting for someone, looking outside the painting and shading her eyes from the sun's dazzling glare.
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Valencia, Spain
While fisherman no longer land their boats here, the sun still shines over Valencia. Today you're more likely to find tourists sunning themselves under the palm trees and on the fine sands of Malvarrosa Beach.
Cassis, Cap Lombard, Opus 196 (April 1889 - June 1889) by Paul SignacKunstmuseum
Paul Signac was highly enthusiastic about the atmosphere and light in Cassis, a small fishing village on the coast of southern France. In a letter to Vincent van Gogh, Signac wrote of, 'white, blue, orange, harmonically dispersed in pretty undulations.'
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Cassis, France
This is the same view today. The ancient town of Cassis remains a popular resort for people across Europe, the coast is famous for its rugged cliffs and hidden inlets, and the town for is renowned for its white and rosé wines.
Summer evening on Skagen Sønderstrand (1893) by Peder Severin KrøyerSkagens Museum
After a dinner party at artist Peder Severin Krøyer's house in 1892, Anna Ancher and Marie Krøyer went for a walk together along the beach, to enjoy the 'blue hour' of the summer's evening - when the sky and sea seem to merge. The next year, Krøyer recreated that scene in paint.
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Skagen, Denmark
Skagen is the northernmost town in the country, and its port remains busy to this day, bringing in tons of herring as well as tourists. The dunes of the southern beach, or Sonderstrand, are a haven for wildlife, and make the perfect spot for an evening wander.
The Little Sailing Boat (1909) by Joaquín Sorolla y BastidaSorolla Museum
Still fancy some sun, sea, and sand? Take a virtual tour of 15 of the world's best beaches here.
