Quay in Antwerp, 1873

Louis Artan (1837-1890) is the quintessential painter of the North Sea. He was the first to break completely with the anecdotal and conventional marine painting of his time. He left out all incidental matters and, like Hippolyte Boulenger, was fascinated by dramatic effects and extreme weather conditions. Artan paints in a rich paint material, with an evocative, sketchy touch. He develops a direct and virtuoso technique, with which he manages to express the changing moods and the view of the sea in all its facets.