Seascape Paintings

This seascape wall art gathers vintage paintings of the sea: calm harbors, rocky coasts, sailing ships and storm waves. The painters include Ivan Aivazovsky, Alfred Thompson Bricher, Karl Hagemeister and Claude Monet. Each print is made to order on fine art paper, gallery-wrapped canvas or framed canvas.

Seascape wall art from four countries

The sea became a major subject for painters in the Dutch Golden Age, and it never lost its hold. This vintage seascape painting collection spans the 18th to the 20th century. It moves from English warships to Russian moonlight, American coasts and German storms. Every scene is a painting of real water, weather and light. The collection holds more than 50 prints, including long panoramic versions.

Painters of the sea

Ivan Aivazovsky (1817–1900) was a Russian painter who worked mainly on the sea. His Constantinople and the Bosphorus (1856) glows at sunset. Moonlit Istanbul (Maiden’s Tower) (1884) shows the city at night. Alfred Thompson Bricher painted the New England shore, as in New England Coast (about 1890) and Castle Rock, Marblehead (1878). Karl Hagemeister painted the Baltic, often in storm; see The Wave, Rough Sea (1911). Claude Monet's Cliffs at Pourville (1882) looks down on the Normandy sea. John Cleveley the Younger recorded English ships in English Frigate off Calshot Castle. William James Glackens painted summer bathers in The Bathing Hour, Chester, Nova Scotia (1910).

Calm or stormy

Calm seas and sunsets suit bedrooms and living rooms. Try Aivazovsky's Calm Seas or Bricher's Sails at Sunset. Storm pieces bring energy to an office or a hallway. Hagemeister's breaking waves look close to abstract at large sizes. Harbor and ship scenes suit a study or a coastal home. Blue and white seascapes work well in a bathroom, on canvas rather than paper. For a study, pair a Cleveley ship scene with a Bricher coast in matching frames. Walnut and oak suit harbor scenes, while white and silver suit pale beach views.

Long seascapes

Many of these works also come as 3:1 panoramic prints, sized for a sofa, a bed or a mantel. See Panoramic & Horizontal Wall Art for sizes, and Art Above Fireplace for classic seascapes sized to a mantel.

Sizes and formats

Sizes run from 8 × 12 to 28 × 42 inches, or from 11 × 14 to 30 × 40 inches. The range depends on the shape of the work. Each product page shows the current price for every size and format. Frames come in black, white, gold, silver, walnut and oak. The paper is 340gsm, 100% cotton rag, and ships rolled in a tube. The canvas is acid-free, with giclée printing rated for more than 100 years of fade resistance. Some works also come as 3:1 panoramic prints, from 8 × 24 to 20 × 60 inches.

Related collections

For storms, fog and night harbors, see Moody Wall Art. Monet, Glackens and Hagemeister also appear in Impressionist Art Prints. For coasts seen from the land, see Vintage Landscape Paintings.

Frequently asked questions

What is a seascape painting?

A painting in which the sea is the main subject. Coasts, harbors, ships and waves all count. Marine painting is a close term, often used for ship scenes.

Where does seascape art look best?

Calm seas suit bedrooms and bathrooms. Storm scenes suit offices and hallways. Long panoramic seascapes fit over a sofa or a mantel.

Who was Ivan Aivazovsky?

A Russian painter (1817–1900) who spent most of his career painting the sea. He is known for moonlit water and glowing sunsets.

Are these original paintings?

No. They are giclée prints of public-domain works, made to order. They are not signed or limited editions.

Should I choose paper or canvas for a seascape?

Choose fine art paper if you want your own frame and mat. It is 340gsm, 100% cotton rag, and ships rolled in a tube. Choose canvas if you want to hang it the day it arrives.