Although made around the same time he made several paintings of marine scenes, Edouard Manet’s etching "Marine" appears to be an original composition. Despite speculations otherwise, there is no evidence of a corresponding composition in paint in Manet’s oeuvre. The etching depicts four sailboats and one rowboat. Manet has used a variety of techniques, including aquatint, to create texture and tone in certain areas of the composition, such as the hulls of the boats and the darker areas of the sky at upper right. The resulting contrasts of light and shadow, open linework and dense tone evoke the inconstancies of the open ocean, with its shimmering light effects, blustery winds, and changeable weather patterns.