Discussion

Types of Seascapes

Like landscapes, there are a wide variety of seascapes. By definition, they contain lots of water, but water just sitting there in a picture by itself isn't very interesting. Dynamic action, like waves, can add a considerable amount of interest. 

Put a figure in that scene, and it adds human interest.

Artists like Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849) go even further by adding a bit of land. In his iconic Great Wave Off Kanagawa, number 1 in his 36 Views of Mt. Fuji series of ukiyo-e prints (1830 - 32), he makes an allegorical statement about Mt. Fuji.

The fishermen's' boats in Hokusai's painting are examples of a lot of other types of elements in seascapes. Here is a modern fishing boat.

Net fishing isn't new. Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – 1858) was well aware of it as shown by this print from his series, Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces (1853 – 1858). 

In fact, evidence exists that net fishing has been around since at least 8300 B.C. There didn't have to be boats. Early nets were made from thin, woven and knotted threads from grasses, vines, flaxes, etc.

Some individual fishermen start small like this fellow on Stern's Wharf in Santa Barbara before railings were erected.

Others like to go big on super yachts.

There have been are all sorts of ships and boats on the sea. This is San Diego's Star of India, the world's oldest active sailing ship.

Sail boats on much more modest scales are popular, too.

Japanese artists like Takahashi Shōtei (1871 – 1945), part of Japan's shin-hanga (new prints) movement painted similar scenes.

Boats and ships aren't the only man-made objects floating on the sea. Some of them make convenient resting places for sea lions.

There are a lot of other animals that are potential elements or subjects in seascapes.

An interesting use of sea animals is cormorant fishing. Traditionally, Japanese fishermen would fish at night, using fire to lure fish to the surface where they would be easier to catch. Cormorants would be restrained at the end of cords tied around their narrow necks. They would instinctively catch and swallow fish, but they were unable to swallow fish beyond the cord around their neck. Fishermen would bring in the cormorants, extract the fish, and turn the cormorants loose again to catch more. This (1835 – 1838) ukiyo-e by Keisai Eisen (1790 – 1848) captures such a scene.

Other man-made intrusions on the sea are docks and wharfs. An example is Santa Barbara's Stern's Wharf which can be walked or driven onto. It features a maritime museum, shops, restaurants, a floating dock for excursion boats, and, of course, fishing off the sides.

Places where the land meets the sea are often very picturesque. Sea stacks are found all around the world. These are called the Twelve Apostles. They are in Australia.

Some seascapes feature only small portions of the sea; the rest being mostly rock. This corner of Big Sur, California is an example.

Seascapes can include borders between men and the ocean, too, besides the things shown earlier. This Kennebunkport, Maine harbor is an example.

Hokusai provides a final example, a small island fishing village titled First Cuckoo of the Year at Tsukudajima (1831 – 1832, part of his Famous Places of the Eastern Capital series. The cuckoo is not really the main subject of the painting.