Courbet had two intense periods of painting seascapes on the northern coast of France, at Trouville in 1865 and Etretat in 1869, but the resulting 'sea landscapes', as he called them, were painted largely in the studio. They are unusual amongst his work for there is neither a specific location nor particular point of interest in the compositions. In contrast to the Impressionists, who used a white canvas, Courbet worked in the traditional manner upon a dark ground which intensifies the melancholy mood.  
Oil on canvas, 1865.