John Singer Sargent is one of the late-nineteenth century’s most celebrated portrait painters, but little was known of his earlier work in seascapes and coastal scenes – until now.

Sargent and the Sea at the Royal Academy of Arts provides a fascinating look at Sargent’s early work and his early stages of development as an artist.

During his youth, Sargent travelled widely, and this exhibition includes work from the artist on his travels aged just 18. By the age of 20, Sargent was already producing awe-inspiring work.

His 1876 seascapes capture his transatlantic crossing perfectly, especially the turbulent Atlantic Storm and the calm and seducing Atlantic Sunset.

A year later on a trip to Brittany, the young Sargent painted stunning coastal scenes, encapsulated by En Route Pour la Pêche (Setting Out to Fish). His terrific attention to detail on the figures in this beach scene shows early signs of his focus on portraiture later in life.

An extensive collection of detailed sketches allude to Singer’s fascination with figure and form, culminating in numerous paintings of local children on a trip to Capri in 1878.

Royal Academy curator Ann Dumas said: “We’re familiar with his highly successful work as a portraitist, so it’s very interesting to discover the extraordinarily talented and precocious artist he was in his earlier years.”

See Sargent and the Sea at the Royal Academy of Arts from 10 July to 26 September.

Kicking off with potential blockbuster The Real Van Gogh, the programme encompasses everything from 18th-century watercolours to experimental contemporary art.

Among the shows we’ve got to look forward to are:

The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and his Letters

23 Jan-18 Apr
A landmark Van Gogh exhibition, featuring 65 paintings, 30 drawings and more than 35 letters and sketches.

Paul Sandby: Picturing Britain

13 Mar-13 Jun
One of the leading figures of 18th-century art, Paul Sandby is considered the father of English watercolour painting.

Summer Exhibition 2010

14 Jun-22 Aug
The annual Summer Exhibition - the world’s largest open submission show - takes place for the 242nd time in 2010.

Sargent and the Sea

10 Jul-26 Sep
John Sargent Singer (1856-1925) is known for his glamorous society portraits. This show features lesser-known beach scenes and dramatic seascapes.

 The Liechtenstein Collection

25 Sep-12 Dec
A unique opportunity to see the riches of the Princes of Liechtenstein, who own one of the world’s greatest private collections, including important works by Rubens.

Pioneering Painters: Glasgow Boys 1880-1900

30 Oct-23 Jan 2011
This show brings together the work of the Glasgow Boys, a revolutionary group of around 20 young painters working in Glasgow at the end of the 19th century.

GSK Contemporary

15 Nov-6 Feb 2011
The Royal Academy’s season of experimental contemporary art takes place for the third year running in 2010.

You don’t need to wait until next year to head to the Royal Academy. The brilliant Anish Kapoor exhibition is on now, and this year’s GSK Contemporary opens on 3 December.