These four paintings were made by the French artist Georges William Thornley (1857-1935).

As you can see here, he specialized in marine paintings. He painted these scenes primarily in Normandy, and he was quite successful during his life. His technique was characterized by the use of thick impasto and bold brush strokes, creating seascapes with an Impressionist feel to them. You can see that quite well in his first work here by looking at how he painted the water and the clouds.

 The beauty of the sea. These four paintings were made by

Ship on Stormy Seas (1850s) was painted by Russian-Armenian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900).

It’s a typical work by Aivazovsky, who created thousands of seascapes during his life. But compared to his average work, it is pretty small, measuring only 20.5 x 28.5 cm. Yet everything is painted with great precision. Just look at the illuminated waves, the cloudy sky, and the boat.

Aivazovsky traveled a lot during his life, constantly finding new inspiration for his seascapes. He knew the sea so well that he could paint it without observing it. He specially loved to capture the waves and the interplay between the light and the water.

 Those are some spectacular waves. Ship on Stormy Seas

Marine Solitude (1854) was painted by the Danish artist Anton Melbye (1818-1875).

Melbye specialized in marine art, painting hundreds of seascapes during his life. And while most of them contain some activities and boats, he chose here to omit all human activities, and focus on the state of the sea when we are not present.

The impressive waves are set against a sunrise or sunset, which strongly contrast with the dark clouds. The couple of seagulls, however, are not impressed and are searching for something to fill their bellies.

If you look long enough at this work, it almost becomes meditative. Hearing the sound of the waves and the seagulls, mixed with the rising/setting sun which changes the sky by the minute.

 The magic of the sea. Marine Solitude (1854) was painted by

When the weather along the coast is suddenly changing.

The Coming Storm (1851) was painted by the German artist Hermann Eschke (1823-1900).

It captures the approach of dramatic weather along a rocky coast. It is hard to see much else then the spectacular rocks, the waves hitting the rocky coast, and the changing weather in the sky.

But if you look very carefully, you can see that just behind the obelisk-like rock on the right, there is a ship crashing onto the rocks, and one of the crew members is launched into the air. And the other ships in the distance may be at risk of the same fate.

 When the weather along the coast is suddenly changing. The

Which of the three moonlight scenes I posted today do you like most?

Moonlight in Naples (1842) was painted by the Russian-Armenian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900).

This moonlit scene is painted by the best-known of the three artists today. Aivazovsky was a true specialist in capturing the sea. He created thousands of seascape paintings, and often didn’t even need to study the sea in detail anymore to create accurate water surfaces and the reflection of light on it.

Aivazovsky traveled frequently across Russia, Europe, and the Middle East to capture the most beautiful seascapes and landscapes. But the Bay of Naples had a special place in his heart, due to the spectacular landscape around it, including Mount Vesuvius.

When posting paintings on this account over time, I noticed that many of you enjoy the moonlit scenes a lot. So, I wanted to create a little comparison of some moonlight paintings by posting three different works by three different artists today. I am curious to hear which one, if any, is your favorite.

 Which of the three moonlight scenes I posted today do you

Lighthouse on a Cliff by Moonlight (1879) was painted by the German artist Hermann Eschke (1823-1900).

Eschke traveled all over Europe during his career as a freelance artist, finding the most beautiful rivers, lakes, and seas. He created a lot of sketches during his travel. And while Eschke occasionally painted his oil paintings en plein air (outside), he usually painted his oil paintings completely in his studio.

This beautiful scene of a lighthouse on the rocks under the moonlight is a great example of how he incorporated the weather circumstances and the light in his marine paintings.

 The beauty of the night. Lighthouse on a Cliff by Moonlight

Few people understood the secrets of the sea better than Ivan Aivazovsky.

Ship Amid the Stormy Sea (1887) is one of several thousand paintings Aivazovsky (1817-1900) made of the sea and the waves.

Growing up at the coast of the Black Sea, Aivazovsky saw many seas during his life and painted even more of them. He traveled an awful lot, with constant trips throughout Russia, Asia Minor, the Mediterranean, and even the United States (he visited the Niagara Falls in 1892).

In the meanwhile, he remained incredibly productive and more than 6,000 paintings of him are known. That means that during his active career, he finished about 100 paintings each year. It helped that he was very talented and had a brilliant memory, allowing him to paint many of his works largely from memory, without extensively sitting at the sea to observe the ideal circumstances for his painting.

 Few people understood the secrets of the sea better than

This idyllic View of Constantinople and the Bosphorus (1856) by Ivan Aivazovsky is one of about 6000 paintings he produced.

Most of them are on display in Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, and private collections.

 This idyllic View of Constantinople and the Bosphorus

Sunset over Ischia (1873) by Ivan Aivazovsky presents a spectacular view of the island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples with a couple of boats. But it's the golden glow of the sunset and its effect on the water that makes this painting so good. Just look as those shiny, translucent waves in the foreground.

Aivazovsky painted over 6000 seascapes during his long career and traveled widely throughout Russia and the Mediterranean. He was born at the coast of the Black Sea and was very familiar with many beautiful marine landscapes. But the Gulf of Naples had a special place in his heart because of the atmosphere, and he returned there several times to capture it.

 The beauty of nature. Sunset over Ischia (1873) by Ivan

The Rainbow (1873) was painted by the Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900), arguably the best marine painter ever.

I understand that taste is subjective, and that we may all have our own preferences. But Aivazovsky understood the sea better than almost any other artist. He grew up along the coast of the Black Sea and painted about 8000 works during this life, the majority of which were seascapes.

The Rainbow is a wonderful example of mankind struggling with the forces of nature. The waves are rough, and both the small boat and the big ship are in trouble. In fact, the big boat seems to be sinking. But the subtle appearance of a rainbow (best seen on the left side of the painting) provides hope that better weather is imminent.

Another effect of the rainbow is that the sea and the sky form a beautiful symphony of colors. Aivazovsky loved to capture this interplay of the light and its environment.

 Do you see the rainbow? The Rainbow (1873) was painted by

The Shipwreck (1772) is a dramatic painting by Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714-1789), who specialized in landscape and marine paintings.

This work was commissioned by Lord Arundell in November 1771, together with another painting called Moonlight (which you can see by swiping to the left). They provide a beautiful contrast between two extreme emotions, horror and beauty.

In The Shipwreck, we can see a ship with a Dutch flag. The ship has run on the rocky shore during a huge storm. We can see how dramatic the weather is, not only by the waves and the violent sky, but also by the tree on the rocks on the left.

The people from the ship are scattered across the painting. Some people have already reached the shore, others are helping to pull some others from the ship, and several of them are still on the ship. All the elements in this paintings, including the brushwork, emphasize the horror and drama that a rough sea could cause.

 Horror and beauty. The Shipwreck (1772) is a dramatic

Battle of Chesme at Night (1848) by Ivan Aivazovsky shows the Russian-Turkish naval battle that took place on July 5-7, 1770.

It was part of the on Russo-Turkish War between 1768–1774, and Aivazovsky tried to reimagine this scene under a moonlit sky. During this battle, the Russian used some so-called fire-ships, which were small vessels intended to put the enemy ships on fire. One of those ships could reach the Turkish fleet, and you can see the result here.

Aivazovsky was specialized in seascapes and painted his fair share of battle scenes. But he created many more paintings (literally thousands) in which he focused on capturing the state of the sea and its waves under different weather conditions. He was a true master in capturing the sea and was a professor of seascape painting during his life. And you can still see that in some of the waves he painted in this work.