Transcripts of a Sea

Photographer Stephan Vanfleteren presents his sea-inspired photography, exploring maritime painting's evolution and its connection to past artists from the 17th to 20th centuries. Published in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent, from 20 September 2025, to 04 January 2026

For the first time, the world-renowned photographer Stephan Vanfleteren will share the enchantment that has drawn him to the sea - or more accurately, into the sea - in recent years. Vanfleteren's fascinating images of the natural world take the viewer on a journey through time. They are inspiring invitations to consider developments in maritime painting in a new light, and to discover how his perspectives intersect with those of painters from the 17th to the 20th centuries.