Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer by Vincent Van Gogh
In this episode, we’ll be taking a short but close look at the 1888 painting called Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer by Vincent Van Gogh at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King.
As always, I take all the photos and videos myself on location, ensuring you get an up-close and personal view of the fascinating world of art and culture. This is a painting that really translates well in photographs.
Painted in 1888 during Van Gogh’s residence in Arles, the origins of this seascape reveal themselves through the discovery of sand particles embedded in the layers of paint, indicative of the artist’s proximity to the shore.
Executed in the quaint fishing hamlet of Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a divergence from Arles, the canvas showcases bold strokes of blue and white, complemented by the strategic infusion of green and yellow hues to represent the undulating waves.
Employing a palette knife, Van Gogh skilfully captures the play of light within the waves. His fascination with the Mediterranean Sea’s ever-shifting colors is eloquently articulated in his writings, describing it as having a dynamic, elusive quality akin to mackerel.
The vivid red signature which is strategically placed in the foreground serves as a vibrant counterpoint amid the lush green backdrop, conceived by Van Gogh as a compelling ‘red note in the green.’