Seascape 1928

Maurice Braun made this painting of a seascape with oils and canvas at an unknown time and location, though I can see he was probably right there, on the shore. Braun’s approach to paint application in this piece is quite soft; he blends and blurs the edges of the forms to create a hazy, atmospheric effect. You can see this especially in the sky, where the pinks and blues of the clouds seem to melt into one another. Looking at the rocks in the foreground, I notice how he uses the impasto technique to build up a thick, textured surface. The strokes are visible, like he’s carving the forms out of the paint itself. It reminds me a little of Monet, though Braun’s colors are more muted, with a slightly melancholic feel. The overall effect is one of quiet contemplation, as if Braun were trying to capture not just the look of the sea, but also its mood. It feels like a love letter to the ocean.