Famous Water Landscapes in History

When you think of landscapes, you probably think predominantly of depictions of land, but some of the most famous and appealing landscapes actually portray watery subject matter, from vast oceans to backyard ponds. Here are a few of the most famous water landscapes in history.

Water Lilies – Claude Monet

Some of Monet's most famous works are studies of his own garden, and many prominently feature water. Among the most beautiful and famous of this impressionist's watery scenes are his paintings of water lilies, featuring striking white, red, purple, and gold flowers set against a backdrop of still, reflective blue water and green shoots breaking the surface. Of course, these weren't the only water scenes Monet painted. Seascapes like Waves Breaking depict the frothy waves of the ocean, a stark and frenetic contrast to the calming ponds of his garden vistas.

Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) – Winslow Homer

American artist Winslow Homer is famed for his depictions of watery landscapes, so it can be hard to pinpoint the best of his many works on the subject. Breezing Up is a fantastic example of the hallmarks of his style, depicting everyday people out for a jaunt on their sailboat, which is tipped to the side for dramatic effect as it skips across the waves. Bucolic clouds fill the horizon and sunlight casts a golden glow on the sail that makes it pop from the dim and hazy background.

Similar examples include Sailing the Catboat and The Gulf Stream. He also painted more serious, but equally commonplace, scenes of fisherman at work, as with The Herring Net, depicting two fishermen hauling in the day's catch.

Starry Night Over the Rhône – Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh is obviously better known for his Starry Night over land, which serves as arguably one of the most recognizable and beloved landscapes in history. Lesser known is Starry Night Over the Rhône, which features both gas lights and twinkling stars reflecting on the rippling water as a pair walks along the riverside.

Under the Wave Off Kanagawa – Katsushika Hokusai

Often simply referred to as The Great Wave, this famous woodblock print is an iconic and dramatic sample of the style by famed Japanese artist Hokusai. It depicts giant waves as they threaten to engulf barely seen boats in the troughs below, creating tension and energy. The white caps of the waves stand out starkly against the deep blues of the water, bringing contrast and clarity to nature's fury.

Ophelia – Sir John Everett Millais

Sir William Shakespeare set the scene for tragic Ophelia falling in the weeping brook and ultimately ending her own life, but it was Sir John Everett Millais who brought the image to life in his fanciful rendering of the grieving maiden in Ophelia more than 250 years later. The frightfully realistic scene shows Shakespeare's words in startling clarity, down to her skirts spreading wide to hold her aloft in the water, before sucking her down to a muddy death.

In Conclusion

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