Van Gogh Seascape near Les Saintes Maries de la Mer (Paesaggio Marino)

Van Gogh captured the view of the sea from the beach in this painting, using grains of sand found in the paint layers. It was created at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a fishing village he visited during a trip from Arles in the south of France. In addition to bold brushstrokes of blue and white, he also used green and yellow for the waves, applying them with a palette knife to capture the changing light. Van Gogh was particularly drawn to the colors of the Mediterranean Sea and described it as having a resemblance to a mackerel - constantly changing and unpredictable. His signature, placed prominently in the foreground in bright red, adds a striking contrast to the green surroundings.