Auguste Pernot, Active In The 19th Century, Marina, 1846

Auguste Pernot, active in the 19th century

Marina, 1846

Oil on canvas, cm 53 x 69

A new concept of landscape takes shape between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: nature bursts into art and reveals itself in all its majestic energy. In addition to country views, mountain panoramas and exotic backgrounds, the sea became one of the favorite subjects of romantic painters in the nineteenth century. For centuries the sea had been confined to decorative backgrounds and was depicted in a rather bizarre way but romantic artists see in the sea the emblem of absolute freedom and solitude; capable of unleashing strong and it amazes us with its immensity and the violence with which it is manifested. In this case too we note that the marine landscape becomes a protagonist at the expense of human figures, barely perceptible on board the ships that sail the waters. The different size sailboats stand out along a bright expanse that changes from blue to golden, under a sun that slowly begins to set on the right. The changing colours are repeated in the clear sky, in the clouds just sketched, on the rocks and boats; nature and man live peacefully in this work, sharing the scenery without prevaricating. The light effects create a wide palette of colours, such as on the surface of the reddish rock in the centre of the painting, a real watershed both literally and spatially. The theme of the sea could be as changeable as is in reality the element itself: perpetual motion, continuous change of shapes and colors, variability of weather conditions, from serene to stormy, make it an ideal subject for the sensitivity and freedom of romantic painters.