The Embouchment of Seine

This painting by Gustave Courbet view of the Seine's mouth where the river meets the sea, capturing the dramatic meeting of fresh and salt water. The sky dominates the composition, filled with clouds that dwarf the low coastline below. Courbet's thick impasto creates tangible textures in both water and atmosphere.

Courbet pioneered Realism, rejecting idealized subjects for direct observation of nature. He painted many seascapes along the Normandy coast, where light and weather changed constantly. This work hangs at the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille.