Gustave Le GrayFrench, 1820–1884Brig on the Water
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Brig on the Water” now? Collection: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis. Not on view at present. Checked October 12, 2026.
Minneapolis, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
Although Gustave Le Gray began as a painter, he is best known for his seascape photography. Through his use of contra-jour, a photographic technique in which the camera points directly toward a source of light, he produced images with strong contrasts in lighting, emphasizing the shape of the subject’s silhouette. Often combining two different negatives, Le Gray created a sharper, more focused image which achieved a tonal balance between sea and sky. The result is a fantastical scene made out of two moments: a turbulent sky that pushes against the horizon, and a calm, small vessel upon the vast sea. Of the approximately 30 pictures of the sea, Brig on the Water is one of his most iconic; selling around 800 prints in the first two months of its sale.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Details
- Accession number
- 93.21
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — public domain
![[The Great Wave, Sète], Gustave Le Gray, 1857](https://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/ph/web-large/DP223650.jpg)
