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)
"Vineyard Haven Dinghy, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 45" x 60"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures a view of a small white dinghy boat tied to a dock. Two ores rest inside the small boat, which is surrounded...
Digital, Giclée
"Magic Carpet Sail, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 18" x 30"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures the folded and tied white sails of a boat. The subject is rendered realistically with a flat light umber bac...
Digital, Giclée
"Vineyard Haven Dinghy, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 24" x 32"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures a view of a small white dinghy boat tied to a dock. Two ores rest inside the small boat, which is surrounded...
Digital, Giclée
"Vineyard Haven Dinghy, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 36" x 48"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures a view of a small white dinghy boat tied to a dock. Two ores rest inside the small boat, which is surrounded...
Digital, Giclée
"Star Spangled Stern" a folded sail casts a shadow on the American flag
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Raw Linen, Oil
"Panoramique" a photorealist maritime oil painting with a ship sailing
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
$14,600
"Fantastic Floats" a rainbow of buoys tied up against a wooden boathouse
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
"Fish Out of Water" realistic bluefin tuna hopping out of the water
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
$7,000
"Palm with Shadow" oil painting of green palm leaves with a shadow behind
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
$11,900
"The Returning" photorealistic red marine lantern, a warm signal of the sea
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Oil, Linen
"Magic Carpet Sail, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 48" x 80"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures the folded and tied white sails of a boat. The subject is rendered realistically with a flat, light, raw-lin...
Digital, Giclée
"Bowspirit" Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 36" x 72"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures the bow of a ship, with the sail tied down and a lightly cloudy blue sky behind it. The artist pays hyper at...
Digital, Giclée
"Alcyon, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 48" x 72"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic coastal limited edition print by Michel Brosseau features a light blue and white palette and captures a large sailboat as it sails through the ocean, carrying four pas...
Digital, Giclée
"Vineyard Haven Dinghy, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 18" x 24"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures a view of a small white dinghy boat tied to a dock. Two ores rest inside the small boat, which is surrounded...
Digital, Giclée
"Alcyon, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 30" x 45"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic coastal limited edition print by Michel Brosseau features a light blue and white palette and captures a large sailboat as it sails through the ocean, carrying four pas...
Digital, Giclée
"Bowspirit, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 16" x 32"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures the bow of a ship, with the sail tied down and a lightly cloudy blue sky behind it. The artist pays hyper at...
Digital, Giclée
"Bowspirit, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 12" x 24"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures the bow of a ship, with the sail tied down and a lightly cloudy blue sky behind it. The artist pays hyper at...
Digital, Giclée
"Alcyon, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 40" x 60"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic coastal limited edition print by Michel Brosseau features a light blue and white palette and captures a large sailboat as it sails through the ocean, carrying four pas...
Digital, Giclée
"Magic Carpet Sail, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 27" x 45"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic nautical limited edition print by Michel Brosseau captures the folded and tied white sails of a boat. The subject is rendered realistically with a flat, light, raw-lin...
Digital, Giclée
$11,900
"The Departing" photorealistic green marine lantern, the sidelight on a boat
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
$6,300
"Where the Sea Knocks" nautical diptych oil painting of multicolored buoys
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
"Alcyon, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 24" x 36"
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Westport, CT
This realistic coastal limited edition print by Michel Brosseau features a light blue and white palette and captures a large sailboat as it sails through the ocean, carrying four pas...
Digital, Giclée
"Conched Out" oil painting of pink conchs in front of a blue door
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
Oil painting of pink conchs in front of a blue door. Michel Brosseau was born in Nantes and has lived in Bordeaux for many years. Both cities are on the Atlantic coast of France and...
Linen, Oil
$25,930Sale Price|25% Off
H 41 in W 41 in D 1.75 in
Painting of New York City Street after Rain with Figures, Cars by British Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Original Painting of a Contemporary New York City Scene after the Rain, with Cars and Figures, by British Urban Landscape Artist, Angela Wakefield. This is a major work to continue h...
Gesso, Canvas, Linen, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$35,956Sale Price|25% Off
H 41 in W 53 in D 1.75 in
Large Painting of Classic New York City in Rain with Figures by British Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Large Original Painting of a Classic 1990's Busy New York City Scene in the Rain, with Yellow Taxis, Cars and Figures, by British Urban Landscape Artist, Angela Wakefield. This is a ...
Gesso, Acrylic, Oil, Mixed Media, Cotton Canvas, Paint, Linen, Canvas
$537
H 47.25 in W 31.5 in D 0.04 in
Hand-Painted Limited Edition #2-Lime Trees in Yellow-British Awarded Artist
Located in London, GB
This stunning hand painted Edition is an one-off large Giclee on paper, oil hand-painted by the artist , signed at front and on the back label too; each proof is 80% hand painted by ...
Gesso, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée, Oil
Once In A Lifetime
By David Najar
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Once In A Lifetime" c. 2000 is a giclee print by noted Israeli artist David Najar, born 1962. It is hand signed and numbered P....
Giclée
Saturday Night Plans
By Kristin Moore
Located in New Orleans, LA
Giclee print on archival cold press cotton rag, edition 11 of 25 with 5 APs. In this new series of paintings, Moore explores themes of wanderlust and memory. From glowing neon signa...
Rag Paper, Giclée
Along Lake Como I
By Howard Behrens
Located in Chesterfield, MI
Hand embellished by the artist, "Along Lake Como I" is in excellent condition and hand signed by the artist. It is an ARTIST PROOF. Framing options are always available with The Loft Fine Art.
Giclée
$580
H 23.63 in W 15.75 in D 0.16 in
Hand painted Artist's Proof#1 of the only 3-Golden Summer-British Awarded Artist
Located in London, GB
This painting [Golden Summer: Sunlit - Rosa Albertines] was painted Plein Air, in Shizico's own garden of the memorial roses she planted. This is Rosa Albertine, the first Old Engli...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Giclée
$1,500
H 26 in W 31 in
La Procession de Noel, Impressionist Giclee Print after Marc Chagall
By Marc Chagall
Located in Long Island City, NY
Marc Chagall, After, Russian (1887 - 1985) - La Procession de Noel, Medium: Giclee, facsimile signed, Edition: 375, Image Size: 11 x 18 inches, Frame Size: 26 x 31 inches, Publ...
Giclée
$8,500
H 33 in W 43 in D 1.5 in
Glass, Lake Landscape, Figure Standing by Water, Mountains, Sage Green, Yellow
By KK Kozik
Located in Kent, CT
A tall, fair-haired figure wrapped in a light blue towel stands on the bank of inviting, calm water. Dark green trees in a forest, and mountains in the dist...
Linen, Oil
$24,816Sale Price|28% Off
H 52 in W 40 in D 1.5 in
New York City NYC Street Sunshine Landscape Painting by British Cityscape Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
New York Sunshine Golden Glow Cityscape Painting by British Urban Landscape Artist Angela Wakefield. This original is part of the New York Series, a ...
Canvas, Linen, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Bob Dylan, "Bicycle" from "The Drawn Blank Series", hand signed
By Bob Dylan
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is a giclee on Hahnemuhle 350gsm Museum paper, created by Bob Dylan in 2013. It is from Dylan's series entitled The Drawn Blank Series. Bob Dylan is known as one of the ...
Giclée
$523
H 15.75 in W 23.63 in D 0.24 in
Hand painted Diptych-A Very British Summer-Brit Awarded Artist-Limited Proof #1
Located in London, GB
This diptych are two rare hand-painted proofs by contemporary artist Shizico Yi, created on a deluxe matte-finish giclée aluminium panels. Each proof is 90% hand-painted with Shizico...
Metal
Sold
H 26 in W 20 in
"Weathered Buoys" diptych oil painting of multicolored red and orange buoys
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
Sold
H 39.3 in W 39.3 in
"Hanging Out" 3 sailboats and their crews pass through open ocean
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Raw Linen, Oil
Sold
H 35 in W 57.5 in
"Edgartown Light" a folded sail rests against the spars in front of a lighthouse
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
Sold
H 35 in W 57.5 in
"(Sitting on) the Dock of the Bay" boats tied to a pier on the ocean
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
Sold
H 31 in W 63 in
"Promenade" a pink flamingo struts along the shore of a tropical beach
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
Sold
H 38.2 in W 63.7 in
"Ideal Conditions" sailors look out at the sea, the sky turning pink behind them
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Oil
Sold
H 43.3 in W 43.3 in
"Alabama" Vineyard sailboat with American flag and sail in the foreground
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Raw Linen, Oil
Sold
H 39.3 in W 39.3 in
"Saint Tropez" large sailboat rests at sea amongst other sailors
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prospero...
Linen, Raw Linen, Oil
"Puritan" Close up of a sail on the water
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prosp...
Linen, Raw Linen, Oil
Sold
H 39.3 in W 59 in
"Race" sailboats and crew line up to begin a race across the ocean blue
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
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 prosp...
Linen, Raw Linen, Oil
Sold
H 35 in W 57 in
Michel Brosseau, "Race", 35x57 Dynamic Regatta Sailing Oil Painting on Linen
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
"Race" is a 35x57 oil painting on linen by artist Michel Brosseau. Featured is a dynamic regatta focusing on a primary yacht in the center of the composition. Bright blue skies are streaked with fluffy white clouds. The dark blues of the rocky ocean are broken up by additional sailing yachts competing in the exciting regatta. About the artist: Born in Nantes, France in 1954, Michel Brosseau divides his time between Brussels and Cap-Ferret, located in the Aquitaine, southern most region of France. After obtaining degrees in both law and science, he practiced journalism for a number of years until returning to what had always been a fascination for him - painting. Brosseau’s passionate, yet minimal works don’t get lost in a multitude of styles, his approach explores new techniques and themes which represent contemporary "maritime narratives"; the sailor's perspective of a masthead framing his view of the horizon, intimate portraits of buoys, each with an intuitive sense of animated personality, single moored boats in the very process of being formed; all his work evokes the "poetics of the sea", reminiscent of the classic authors: James Fenimore Cooper...
Linen, Oil
Sold
H 29.6 in W 61 in
Michel Brosseau, "Bowspirit", 29.5x61 Regatta Sailing Oil Painting on Linen
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
"Race" is a 35x57 oil painting on linen by artist Michel Brosseau. Featured is a close up detail of a yacht sail. The white wrinkled sail fabric is contrasted by the bright blue sky accented with fluffy white clouds. The detail of the composition is so realistic, the viewer can pick out each detail and every wrinkle from the folded sail fabric. About the artist: Born in Nantes, France in 1954, Michel Brosseau divides his time between Brussels and Cap-Ferret, located in the Aquitaine, southern most region of France. After obtaining degrees in both law and science, he practiced journalism for a number of years until returning to what had always been a fascination for him - painting. Brosseau’s passionate, yet minimal works don’t get lost in a multitude of styles, his approach explores new techniques and themes which represent contemporary "maritime narratives"; the sailor's perspective of a masthead framing his view of the horizon, intimate portraits of buoys, each with an intuitive sense of animated personality, single moored boats in the very process of being formed; all his work evokes the "poetics of the sea", reminiscent of the classic authors: James Fenimore Cooper...
Linen, Oil