by Lisa Ledieu
The ocean covers approximately 70% of the Earth. Water composes up to 60% of our bodies. H₂O, by its chemical name, has an undeniable place in human life and in the environment. Essential to survival, water is also often perceived as a motherly figure, recalling our primary state in the womb. It is a source of tranquility for the mind: looking at the sea in the distance, taking a dive in scorching weather, or even a bath to ward off the cold. It has long been a subject of human fascination as well as of representation. Thus, the aim of this article is to explain how water, especially the sea, is a core theme in art through some of its most important — yet not exhaustive — forms. Starting with painting, followed by writings and cinema, this paper seeks to offer the sea a moment of admiration, before concluding with a reflection on the necessity of protecting it.
The sea in paintings
Variable movements and periods of painting have taken the sea as their subject, giving birth to radically different representations of it. One can find Cubist or Expressionist pieces, but also Ukiyo-e works, and the list goes on. From this wide range, we will take a closer look at two artworks: Les Falaises de Varangeville (1897) by Claude Monet and Les Iles d’or (1891-1892) by Henri-Edmond Cross. The first, an Impressionist work, can be seen in the MuMa in Le Havre. The sea remains in the background; yet the way it is treated reveals its importance for this movement. Impressionism is indeed characterized by an effort to capture light’s reflection on different surfaces. Thus, water, and here the sea, becomes the perfect medium. In Monet’s paintings, and not only in Les Falaises de Varangeville, it is omnipresent (his Etretat’s works are also telling examples). Colors are manipulated to render different weather conditions, seasons and hours, modifying the way light reflects upon the sea. In Cross’ Neo-Impressionist Les Iles d’or, this time set not in Normandy but in the south of France near Hyères, the treatment of paint produces a different effect. In comparison with Monet’s work, the colors are more vibrant, accentuating the probable heat while the sea, in a deeper blue, presents itself as Mediterranean, leaving behind the agitated waters of the Channel. Whether calm or turbulent, the sea emerges in painting as a space of artistic inquiry, gradually offering painters an inexhaustible ground for visual experimentation.
The sea in writings
If the sea is often used as a setting in which a story takes place, it can also become the very core of a work. Here we might turn to La mer écrite (1996) by Marguerite Duras and Mizu no sōretsu (1967) by Akira Yoshimura. Both authors take the sea as their source of inspiration, honoring it in their own way. Marguerite Duras, on the one hand, observes nature, and most importantly the sea, during her walks (some in towns of Upper Normandy) using these moments to write intimate reflections on her surroundings. The sea is personified, becoming a real character in her narratives, sometimes even deliberately intertwined with the word “mère” (‘mother’), which is pronounced the same way as “mer”(‘sea’). The text is accompanied by photographs by Hélène Bamberger, blending images and writing as a tribute to the maternal sea. Two revealing and moving extracts illustrate this:
‘The sea remained there, proper, discrete, perfect, invisible, eternal.’
‘It’s the sea. It has taken everything. […] It moves with time, just as if that were possible.’
On the other hand, Akira Yoshimura portrays the sea as a powerful and violent force, successfully associating it with death itself, unavoidable. The story contrasts two groups of individuals: one summoned to construct a hydroelectric dam, and the other fiercely defending their village from the flooding that such a construction would bring. It is a telluric narrative that anticipates modern environmental concerns, despite having been written decades ago. Overall, both works place the sea at the heart of their stories, confirming its role as a key artistic element. More broadly, these examples show how literature can transform the sea from mere setting into a force that shapes narrative and meaning.
The sea in films
Cinema is in itself a convergence of artistic mediums, offering spectators the opportunity to experience photography, music, storytelling, poetry, and even, in some ways, painting. Like each of these forms, the seventh art can take the sea as its subject. Through its pluridisciplinarity, it is able to capture the sea as an image, accompanied by text and music, the whole becoming a unified artwork. As examples, we will consider La Pointe Courte (1955) by Agnès Varda and Flow (2024) by Gints Zilbalodis. A precursor to the French New Wave movie, La Pointe Courte is set in the eponymous fishing district of Sète, in the south of France. Beyond presenting the sea as a central topic, the film also depicts the reality of fishermen’s lives. Around the main love story unfolds a political crisis that highlights the harsh economic conditions of the working class as well as the vulnerability of the sea, threatened by overfishing (echoing our own era). The film thus brings forward a reflection on both political and environmental issues. On the other side of the shore, Flow, an animated film whose main protagonist is a black cat terrified by water. We follow him as his surroundings are gradually submerged by a wild and rising ocean. Losing companions along the way, oscillating between hope and despair, the character embodies a broader anxiety about climate change. The film invites us to question ourselves and, ultimately, to identify with him: what would we do if one day we were to be swept away by the very sea which we have abused?
A reflection on climate change
The human-caused changes that threaten our environment should strike us even more forcefully when we take the time to admire nature. This article has sought, if only momentarily, to place the sea at the center of our thoughts. Let us try to keep nature in a corner of our minds; it may help us resist indifference and egoism. Let us look at the sea more often, and be grateful for its presence. And therefore, let us strive to respect it, in return for all it has silently given us.
Bibliography:
- Cranston, Mechthild. “Words/Images/Crossings: La mer écrite of Marguerite Duras.” The Comparatist 35, no. 1 (2011): 55–67.
- De Ceccatty, René. “Le Convoi de l’eau, d’Akira Yoshimura : Yoshimura, romantique japonais.” Le Monde, February 12, 2009.
- Mury, Cécile. “Flow, le chat qui n’avait plus peur de l’eau : pure merveille que cette insolite histoire d’arche sans Noé.” Télérama, February 28, 2025.
- Musée d’Orsay. “Les Iles d’Or – Henri-Edmond Cross.” https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/oeuvres/les-iles-dor-152.
- MuMa Le Havre. “Impression(s), soleil | MuMa Le Havre : site officiel du musée d’art moderne André Malraux.” https://www.muma-lehavre.fr/fr/expositions/impressions-soleil/monet-au-muma.
- Mitchell, H. H., T. S. Hamilton, F. R. Steggerda, and H. W. Bean. “The Chemical Composition of the Adult Human Body and Its Bearing on the Biochemistry of Growth.” Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, no. 3 (1945): 625–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9258(19)51339-4.
- U.S. Geological Survey, Water Science School. “How Much Water Is There on Earth?” November 13, 2019. https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/how-much-water-there-earth.
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