Contemporary Paintings Look Back at the Historic Titanic 110 Years After It Sank

Titanic Paintings by Eliott Sontot

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info.

On April 15, 1912, the world-famous Titanic crashed into an iceberg and sank into the Atlantic ocean. The scale of this passenger liner and the tragedy of the event made the vessel a world-famous piece of history. Over a century after the ship met its end, artist Eliott Sontot looks back at the Titanic's fascinating past, capturing its size, grandeur, and calamity in a series of expressive digital paintings.

The French artist traces his interest in the ship to when he was a child. “I remember watching James Cameron's movie and being fascinated by the ship, the era it was set in, and most of all, the incredible story that happened,” Sontot tells My Modern Met. “Ever since then, I've been studying it through books, articles, documentaries, and so on.” Through the Titanic, he also became interested in maritime subjects as a whole and studied different aspects of nautical life.

This ongoing series includes paintings of the ship when it was intact and when it was under duress. In the scenes set prior to the crash, the Titanic is depicted from afar to emphasize its massive scale. Other renderings look inside the vessel to when water was filling up the opulent interior, including the grand central staircase. Sontot enhances the emotional impact of these visuals by applying brush strokes in a loose way, with bold patches of color.

“My aim is to convey a sense of realism while staying true to my art style, but most of all, an atmospheric scenery of the era it was set in, a mood, that everyone could relate to, or experience at some point,” he continues. “Making these paintings is also a way for me and for the people that see them to remember a tragedy that happened in a time that seems so far from us now, and left a mark on history forever.

You can purchase prints of Sontot's art via Redbubble, and keep up to date with his latest projects by following him on Instagram.

French artist Eliott Sontot explores the tragic history of the Titanic in captivating series of paintings.

Titanic Paintings by Eliott Sontot

Titanic Paintings by Eliott Sontot

Created digitally, these pieces explore the beauty of the ship and its sad ending.

Titanic Paintings by Eliott Sontot

Titanic Paintings by Eliott Sontot

Titanic Paintings by Eliott Sontot

Titanic Paintings by Eliott Sontot

Titanic Paintings by Eliott Sontot

Eliott Sontot: Redbubble | Art Station | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Eliott Sontot.

Related Articles:

Realistic Paintings Look Like Candid Photos of Life in a Bustling Metropolis

Luscious Oil Paintings Bloom Flowers That Look Real Enough To Touch

Colorful Watercolor Paintings Capture the Mood and Energy of Cities Around the World

Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.
Become a Member
Explore member benefits

Sponsored Content