Michel Brosseau"Voile Fraiche" photorealist oil painting of a folded white sail, linen behind2023
2023
About the Item
- Creator:Michel Brosseau (French)
- Creation Year:2023
- Dimensions:Height: 39 in (99.06 cm)Width: 39 in (99.06 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Edgartown, MA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU164213154552
Michel Brosseau
Michel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and have rich maritime histories, highlighted by prosperous trade with the West Indies in the 18th century. “The scent of cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon still vaguely hangs in these ports today,” says Brosseau.
The French artist is known for his nautical paintings and draws inspiration from his childhood memories. “I strolled the docks between the sugar and rum warehouses,” he says. “And I think it’s this nostalgia for a traditional sea lifestyle that used to fascinate me and still does.”
Brosseau’s education is atypical for a painter — he studied political science as an undergraduate and received a master’s degree in law. Although he painted during and after his years at school, he worked as a journalist and a political activist upon graduating. He could not stay away from his true passion for long, however, and eventually returned to painting full time. From a young age, the sea captivated Brousseau.
“My first paintings were devoted to maritime themes mixed with Surrealism,” he says. Paintings from his teenage years depict flying boats or parting waters, like the iconic scene from Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 film The Ten Commandments. As Brosseau developed, his style moved closer to realism. His oil paintings have a distinct look — graphic and contemporary — that he uses to explore the philosophical implications of marine life.
“The fascinating part of the sea is that it’s a total and paradoxical universe,” Brosseau says. “There is always the fascination with going out to sea and the anticipation of returning to port.” While his style is consistent, Brosseau experiments with different techniques and themes. He rarely paints open seascapes and his canvases frequently include animate and inanimate symbols of the nautical world — toiling sailors, faded buoys with chipped paint, weather-battered rowboats.
“Maybe I prefer the maritime places, objects, and artifacts of the sea culture to the sea itself because I can tame and control them,” Brosseau says. At the heart of his work is an awareness of the austerity of life — at sea and ashore — and the different ways humanity reacts to nature. “I found this a bit in Martha’s Vineyard,” he says, “this opposition between the Palladian refinement of 18th-century New England architecture and the odds and ends of Menemsha Harbor.”
When Brosseau first visited the Vineyard he was struck by the diverse wealth of scenery the island presents to a painter. “Whatever the topic, there is always an atmosphere to be captured,” he says. Inspired by the Vineyard’s majestic sailboats, tranquil harbors, and quaint landscapes, Brosseau began a series of paintings dedicated to the island’s nostalgic charm. His work has been featured at the Eisenhauer Gallery in Edgartown since the summer of 2006.
Find original Michel Brosseau paintings on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Eisenhauer Gallery)
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Edgartown, MA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- "On the Bow" a photorealist detailed view of a bow of a ship in rustic tonesBy Michel BrosseauLocated in Edgartown, MAMichel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and have rich maritime histories, highlighted by prospero...Category
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
MaterialsLinen, Oil
- "Fisherman's Pride" a photorealist landscape of fishing buoys in vibrant tonesBy Michel BrosseauLocated in Edgartown, MAMichel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and have rich maritime histories, highlighted by prospero...Category
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
MaterialsOil, Linen
- "Panoramique" a photorealist maritime oil painting with a ship sailingBy Michel BrosseauLocated in Edgartown, MAMichel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and have rich maritime histories, highlighted by prospero...Category
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
MaterialsLinen, Oil
- "The Meeting" a photorealist oil painting depicting a nautical landscapeBy Michel BrosseauLocated in Edgartown, MAMichel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and have rich maritime histories, highlighted by prospero...Category
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
MaterialsLinen, Oil
- "The Last Catch" a vivid blue array of fisherman buoys restingBy Michel BrosseauLocated in Edgartown, MAMichel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and have rich maritime histories, highlighted by prospero...Category
2010s Realist Still-life Paintings
MaterialsOil, Linen
- "Still Reflection" photorealist oil painting of a dinghy filled with blue waterBy Michel BrosseauLocated in Edgartown, MAMichel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and have rich maritime histories, highlighted by prospero...Category
2010s Still-life Paintings
MaterialsLinen, Oil
- KlepsydraBy Katerina HatziLocated in Spetses, GRLight and dark strokes surrounding a central skull. Oil on linen, ready to hang.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Paintings
MaterialsOil, Linen
- Lathyrus in Vase- 21st Century Contemporary Dutch Still-life Oil PaintingLocated in Nuenen, Noord BrabantThe young Dutch artist Lars van Wieren is seen by many as a great talent. We get that! Through one of our artists we were made aware of Lars' work. W...Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
MaterialsLinen, Oil
- BackwashBy Frédéric ChoiselLocated in Burlingame, CA'Backwash' — luminous oil on linen. Dimensions are 60 x 72 inches. French American Frédéric Choisel, is inspired by the cities and countrysides of France, New York, and California'...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Paintings
MaterialsLinen, Oil
- Farewell to winter. Hello spring!Located in Zofingen, AGThe work "Farewell to winter. Hello spring!" tells us about the cherry blossom season. This time is the triumph of the sun and warmth after a long, lingering winter. Ahead of everyon...Category
2010s Aesthetic Movement Interior Paintings
MaterialsCanvas, Linen, Oil
- Without Borders- 21st Century painting of two Tulips with barbed wireBy JP MarsmanLocated in Nuenen, Noord BrabantJP Marsman Without Borders I Oilpainting on linen 140 x 120 cm ( the painting is framed in a wooden black frame (see pictures) With the frame the size is 145 x 130 cm JP Marsman's cheerful and hyper-realistic paintings appeal to the imagination on several levels. In the last two years his paintings became more and more popular and are worldwide in several collections. Artisan; the work is painted so realistically that everything seems 'touchable'. It seems to be 'there'... Color; the artist isn't afraid to go wild with color. This gives the still lifes a liveliness that is unique for 'still lifes'. Combinations; the subjects that Jean Paul Marsman...Category
2010s Realist Figurative Paintings
MaterialsLinen, Oil
- "Anemones in Red" contemporary oil painting floral still life interior, framedBy Kelly CarmodyLocated in Sag Harbor, NYA still life painting of red anemones in a glass vessel, situated on a small round wooden table. A butter knife rests upon neutral toned fabric. A green drape with red fringe trim hangs in the background. Framed in a white wood frame. Framed dimensions: 30 x 26 inches Painting dimensions: 24 x 20 inches Kelly Carmody has exhibited at venues including the Portrait Society of America and the Art Students League. Most recently, she was selected for the 2015 BP Portrait Award Show at the National Portrait Gallery in London and the 2016 Outwin Boochever Award at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. In addition, the historic Guild of Boston Artists elected her to become a member in 2015, she won the Edmund C. Tarbell Award in her first juried members show. The winning portrait is on the cover of July/August edition of Fine Art Connoisseur. In June of 2015 she received the Blanche E. Colman Award. She was invited to exhibit in the 2016 American Masters show at the Salmagundi Club. She currently has work at the Sloane Merrill Gallery in Boston, the Guild of Boston Artists, and the Ann Long Gallery in Charleston, SC. Publications that have featured her work include American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur, International Artist Magazine, Fine Art Today, Southwest Art, Studio Visit Magazine, Boston Magazine, and The Boston Globe. Carmody has won grants from the Ludwig Foundation, Turkey Land Cove Foundation, and Massachusetts Cultural Council, as well as receiving an Edward G. McDowell Travel Grant and the Walter Feldman...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Impressionist Still-life Paintings
MaterialsOil, Linen