The Sea
The Met
Artist: Gustave Courbet(French, Ornans 1819–1877 La Tour-de-Peilz)
Date: 1865 or later
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm)
Credit Line: Purchase, Dikran G. Kelekian Gift, 1922
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
A painting depicts a stormy seascape with dark, heavy clouds, rough waves, and a rocky foreground
Detailed Description
An image depicts a stormy seascape under a heavy sky. The upper two-thirds of the composition are filled with dense, dark grey and black clouds, textured with visible brushstrokes that suggest movement and depth. A narrow band of lighter, greenish-blue sky is visible along the very top edge, peeking through the dense cloud cover. Below the horizon line, the sea stretches across the middle ground, rendered in deep blue-green hues. The water is turbulent, with numerous white-capped waves breaking and churning. Small patches of white foam are visible on the wave crests. In the far distance on the water, a tiny, light-colored sailboat with a single mast is faintly discernible. The foreground features a dark, sandy beach with several clusters of irregular, dark brown and grey rocks. These rocks vary in size and shape, some appearing partially wet from the waves. The overall color palette is dominated by dark, muted tones of grey, blue, and green, with contrasting whites in the wave foam and the lighter sky.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
