Marine painting began as the capturing of various marine activities before the invention of photography. Its subjects are numerous, from battles at sea, shipwrecks, historical events, boat racing, fishing and water sports, to harbor scenes and portraits of vessels. Different to purely expressive art, these works are marked by a natural realism, more like historical documents. Generally prevalent in countries with great seapower, marine painting originated in the Netherlands in the 17th century, further developed in Great Britain in the 18th century, and with whose expansion of seapower, reached its zenith in the 19th century.
The purpose of sea-battle paintings was to capture the action of special naval confrontation. Before painting, artists interviewed eyewitnesses and often confirmed their information with preliminary sketches. During the age of sail, both the Dutch and British navies carried marine artists into battle, and so their paintings amount to journalism on canvas.
In ship portraits, the vessel is the main object of attention; other background details are usually ignored. Every part of the ship – its equipment, sails, masts, flags and crew – are accurately represented. Ship portraits are usually profiles, and the ships are well in frim to please the eyes of ship owners and captains.
This sub-genre of marine painting is the most popular and diverse. Artists generally paint from the shore, and so their perspectives are usually coastal. Subjects include storm-lashed seashores, peaceful beaches at sunset, inshore fishing activities and bustling seaports. In additional to capturing details of ships and shoreside facilities, artists must pay special attention to light and the way it interacts with the water.
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