The Blue Sea dates from the 1890s, probably between 1893 and 1900.
The Blue Sea, Pushkin State Museum of Art
A date of about 1888 was suggested in 1980, based on a photograph. 1 This date was later revised to ca 1890. 2 However, further consideration of the butterfly signature and technique indicates a slightly later date, 1893/1900.
Notes:
1: 'Probably painted about 1888' in YMSM 1980 [more]
(cat. no. 380).
2:
MacDonald 2006 [more]
, at pp. 46-47 (cat. no. 23).