The Wave

"The Wave", painted in 1870 by Gustave Courbet, hangs before you, a powerful depiction of the sea's raw energy. This piece, part of the museum collection Am Römerholz, measures 1 meter wide by 0.81 meters high, allowing the wave to feel almost larger than life. Notice how Courbet uses shades of deep green and brown to build the wave, its crest catching a hint of light from the stormy sky above. The churning whitecaps and the brooding grays and blues of the sky further emphasize the turbulent, untamed power of nature on display. The absence of any human presence allows us to focus solely on this breathtaking force.