2022
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, 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
"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, 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
"Catboats, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 36" x 48"
By Daniel Pollera
Located in Westport, CT
This coastal seascape Limited Edition giclee print by Daniel Pollera captures two small sailboats, one white and one navy blue, anchored along a grassy shoreline in the foreground. T...
Digital, Giclée
"Catboats, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 48" x 60"
By Daniel Pollera
Located in Westport, CT
This coastal seascape Limited Edition giclee print by Daniel Pollera captures two small sailboats, one white and one navy blue, anchored along a grassy shoreline in the foreground. The boats' reflections are visible in the pale water, which fades out to a vibrant blue, with the white, shimmering reflection of sunlight on the surface. Along the horizon line, a grassy hill with lush greenery and trees is visible beneath a muted yellow and pink sky. This Limited Edition giclee print by Daniel Pollera is an edition size of 10. Printed on canvas, it ships framed in a warm silver floater frame wired and ready to hang. Other floater frame options are available in gold, black, white, and walnut. For additional sizes and alternate frame options, please contact us. This print comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and ships for free. The artist granted permission to Sorelle Gallery to produce his Limited Edition prints which are printed with pigment ink on a Premium Fine Art Matte Canvas 410g/m2, designed to meet museum longevity requirements and ensure consistency. Please allow additional time for printing prior to shipping. Daniel Pollera was born in 1953 in the coastal town of Freeport, New York. His interest in art began at a very young age, gravitating toward drawing and painting the surrounding coastline of Long Island. After a short study at SUNY Farmingdale in Commercial Art, he left to enter the family business. For almost 15 years, Daniel took a sabbatical from painting, but this didn’t affect his love for the sea. He obtained a Captain’s License in 1977 from the United States Coast Guard and took passengers for hire on the open ocean. Through this experience and visual knowledge he was drawn to begin painting again. Although Daniel was primarily self-taught, he worked with Frances Norris Streit, a portrait and mural artist, assisting her on a 14’ x 30’ historical mural for the Roslyn Savings Bank. He also studied with Everett Molinari, a well-respected President of the National Mural Society. Museum collections include Long Island Museum, Parrish Art Museum, and Guild Hall Museum. Daniel split his time between his home in East Quogue...
Digital, Giclée
"Catboats, " Framed Limited Edition Giclee Print, 30" x 40"
By Daniel Pollera
Located in Westport, CT
This coastal seascape Limited Edition giclee print by Daniel Pollera captures two small sailboats, one white and one navy blue, anchored along a grassy shoreline in the foreground. T...
Digital, Giclée
"Leaving Behind the Sail" nautical, sailboats, sails, wooden ships, Edgartown
By Michel Brosseau
Located in Edgartown, MA
"Leaving Behind the Sail" is a painting from the perspective of being onboard a wooden sailboat with the sails ready to be hoisted for a beautiful day on the water. In the center of ...
Linen, Oil
3 Mile Harbor, East Hampton, Impressionist Poster by John Beerman
By John Beerman
Located in Long Island City, NY
John Beerman, American (1958 - ) - 3 Mile Harbor, East Hampton, Medium: Poster, signed in ink, Image Size: 17 x 25 inches, Size: 24 x 32 in. (60.96 x 81.28 cm), Printer: Syliva R...
Offset
"American Classics, Nantucket Opera House Cup Regatta" by Louis Guarnaccia
By Louis Guarnaccia
Located in Greenwich, CT
Louis Guarnaccia Biography American, b. 1958 Louis was born in Omaha, NE in 1958. At the age of nine he began painting in oil, and at 14, he began studying painting, drawing, and ar...
Oil, Linen
"Monomoy Summer Day" Nantucket landscape painting by Marla Korr
By Marla Korr
Located in Greenwich, CT
Marla Korr is an American painter renowned for her serene marine landscapes, coastal scenes, and atmospheric depictions of New England. This piece features a bright, clear day on the...
Canvas, Oil
"Sailing, Shelter Island" Seascape Painting, Oil on Canvas, 31.5x39.5inch framed
By Marc Dalessio
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting by world renowned contemporary Plein-Air painter, Marc Dalessio (b. 1972, Los Angeles, California). Situated on the sandy beach on Long Island's Shelter Island, Dales...
Canvas, Oil
Dahl Taylor, "Dinghies", 24x26 Boat and Water Oil Painting on Canvas
By Dahl Taylor
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This piece, "Dinghies" by artist Dahl Taylor is a 24x26 oil painting on canvas featuring six dinghies bound together by rope, bobbing in the water. Sunligh...
Canvas, Oil
