Seascape near Les Saintes Maries de la Mer by Vincent Van Gogh

About the Artwork
Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (1888) was painted during a brief excursion Van Gogh made to the fishing village of Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on the Mediterranean coast, shortly after arriving in Arles. Captivated by the vivid colours of the sea and sky, he produced several drawings and paintings of the boats and waves during his few days there. This seascape captures the restless energy of the Mediterranean with bold, swirling brushstrokes and an intense palette of blues and greens, the choppy water animated by the same rhythmic intensity that characterises his greatest works. In letters to Theo, Van Gogh described the sea as having colours like mackerel — "changing, you know — you don’t always know if it is green or violet, you can’t even say it’s blue". The painting is now held at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.

About the Artist
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter whose work, though largely unrecognised during his lifetime, went on to profoundly influence 20th-century art. Born in Zundert, Netherlands, he produced over 2,100 artworks in just a decade — including around 860 oil paintings — marked by bold colours, expressive brushwork, and an emotional honesty rarely seen before. Struggling with mental illness throughout his adult life, Van Gogh channelled his anguish and wonder into canvases that today rank among the most celebrated and valuable in the world.