For my art gallery, I have decided to go with a nature-based theme. Specifically, I have chosen to focus on the ocean. The ocean is a mysterious place. From the exterior, it can give off a sense of serenity and calmness; however, the slightest trigger could make that serene outlook into a potent destructive force.
Ocean Sunrise, John Appleton Brown, 1880s, From the collection of: Harvard Art Museums
Ocean Sunrise depicts a calm ocean with radiant sunshine that brings about a new day. The colors used are very light and gives off a radiant feeling just like a sunrise. The image uses sort of a split complementary color scheme giving it a very vibrant look. The clear sky also reflects reflects upon a very calm ocean.
Mid Ocean, Frederick Judd Waugh, 1875/1945, From the collection of: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Mid Ocean shows how the ocean can change from something so surreal to something dangerous. The coloration of the piece shows a huge contrast from left to the right. The left side of the image shows dark clouds brewing while as the right shows a very calm sky. The ocean waves are dangerously choppy and it shows the destructive nature of the sea.
Shipwreck, Francis Danby, 1793–1861, Irish, ca. 1850, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
Shipwreck by Francis Danby portrays the ocean in a very dangerous outlook. The colors used in the painting not only symbolizes a sunset, but it also signifies how deadly the ocean can be. The red sunset gives off a feeling of danger to viewers, while as the dark-colored ocean also gives of an "evil" vibe.
Helvoetsluys; the City of Utrecht, 64, Going to Sea, TURNER, Joseph Mallord William, 1832, From the collection of: Tokyo Fuji Art Museum
Helvoetsluys portrays ships travelling across a vast ocean in rather choppy waters. The movement of the sails, as well as the ocean waves tell viewers that there the wind is blowing from the left. The ray of light that shines upon the ships telling viewers that despite the sun shining high and bright, the ocean can still be a very unforgiving place.
Christ on the Sea of Galilee, Eugène Delacroix, 1854, From the collection of: The Walters Art Museum
Christ on the Sea of Galilee portrays a group of travelers, battling the ocean waves in rather dire weather. The dark colors used in the image tells viewers that despite the lack of rain or lightning, there is a storm brewing from the west as the dark clouds seem to be moving in from there. The toppling ship also shows the destructive nature of the ocean.
Stormy Sea, Brighton, John Constable, 1776–1837, British, ca. 1828, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
Stormy Sea, Brighton depicts an ocean that is about to experience a storm. The coloration used for the skies is telling viewers that a storm is brewing in the distance, however, the ocean still is relatively calm as seen from the lack of heavy movement of the waves. This shows the unpredictable nature of the ocean.
Le Soleil au Zénith - Océan / [The Sun at Zenith, Normandy], Gustave Le Gray, 1856, From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
Le Soleil au Zenith portrays a black and white image of a calm ocean. The ocean is a mysterious place. How colors can be used to evoke emotions of the sea like previous images of this gallery, a simple image such as this one, void of colors, can still portray a very surreal and almost ethereal feeling to viewers.
Sunlight on the Coast, Winslow Homer, 1890, From the collection of: The Toledo Museum of Art
Sunlight on the Coast by Winslow Homer shows a rough sea beating along a coast while moonlight can be seen on the far right of the image. This image shows two sides of the ocean. The left shows huge movements in terms of the waves but on the other side of the image, the total lack of movement coupled with the light shining down on the ocean, gives of a mystical feel.
The Grey Sea, LS Lowry, 1964, From the collection of: Lakeland Arts - Abbot Hall Art Gallery and Museum
The Gery Sea portrays a calm ocean. The lack of colors with the calm movement of the ocean waves lets viewers feel a sense of ease. Void of anything but the sky and the ocean, it allows viewers the chance to observe what the ocean is all about rather than getting distracted by other objects in the image.
Sunrise over the Eastern Sea, FUJISHIMA Takeji, 1932, From the collection of: Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation
Sunrise over the Eastern Sea depicts a gorgeous sunrise over the ocean. The evident of split complementary colors can be seen here and it is giving off a very vibrant image. The use of blue-green, yellow-green and red brings about contrast. The ocean's lack of wave movement shows that the sea is calm and that the sunrise is peaking over nicely.
Credits: All media
This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
