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)
"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
$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
"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
"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
$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
"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
$20,604
H 41 in W 53 in D 1.75 in
Large Original Painting of Broadway New York City by British Landscape Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Large Atmospheric Black & Yellow Painting of Broadway New York City by British Urban Landscape Artist, Angela Wakefield. This unique original is ...
Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Gesso, Linen, Mixed Media, Oil
$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
$4,125
H 39.38 in W 27.56 in D 1.19 in
Lemon - original realism still life painting - contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Linen, Acrylic
Mint Lavender
By Jennifer Hornyak
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Jennifer Hornyak was born in England, where she studied at the Grimsby School of Art before coming to Canada. For more than forty years, her work has been exhibited in prestigious ga...
Oil, Linen
Still Life with Blue Pitcher and Gerber Daisy
Located in Greenville, DE
Still Life with Blue Pitcher and Gerber Daisy, 2018 by Tina Ingraham (b. 1947); Oil on linen; 19 x 23 inches; framed 20 x 24 inches. Influenced by Old Master works, mosaics, and cont...
Linen, Oil
$240Sale Price|20% Off
H 35 in W 6 in
Tiffany Stained Glass - Original Book Art on Canvas
By Carl Smith
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Smith is an American artist who has been living in Berlin, Germany, since 2001. He works with a combination of silkscreen printing, collage, and painting to create his urban ins...
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic, Screen
$12,000
H 46 in W 57 in D 2 in
Bluebird - Figure Fishing Sage Blue Green Water Forest Lake Landscape, 2022
By KK Kozik
Located in Kent, CT
In this contemporary painting in oil on linen, a fair-haired figure with a ponytail wearing green waders and a baseball cap stands knee-deep in inviting, light blue green water while...
Linen, Oil
$2,600
H 10 in W 8 in
"Still Life with Flowers XVIII" by Jordan Wolfson, (2019) Oil Painting
By Jordan Wolfson
Located in Denver, CO
Jordan Wolfson's (US based) "Still Life with Flowers XVIII" is an oil painting that depicts abstracted flowers in a vase contrasted with a vibrant red background. Jordan Wolfson re...
Linen, Oil
$3,500
H 15 in W 21.75 in D 2 in
Oil Painted Still Life of Wooden Bowl, Berries, and Nuts in Natural Light
By William J Rushton
Located in New York, NY
Oil Painted Still Life in Natural Light with Dark Background.. bowl with berries and nuts. As with nearly all of William J Rushton's artworks, this was created from life and on the...
Linen, Oil
$6,609
H 31.5 in W 31.5 in D 1.19 in
Pancakes and Blackberries realism Still Life Painting Acrylic on Linen, 80x80cm
By Heidi von Faber
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Linen, Acrylic
Fuck You, Love Me
By Marc Dennis
Located in Denver, CO
Marc Dennis' hyperrealism finds a seemingly demure subject in this 2015 oil painting. "Fuck You, Love Me" is a circular work that at first glance merely depicts a group of white rose...
Linen, Oil
$6,609
H 31.89 in W 31.89 in D 1.19 in
Grapes and Jug - original realism still life painting - contemporary Art
By Heidi von Faber
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Linen, Acrylic
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