Veduta marina con vascelli
Julius Porcellis (Rotterdam 1610 – 1645 Leiden)
Julius Porcellis (Rotterdam 1610 – 1645 Leiden)
attributable
attributable
Seascape with ships
Oil on wood panel (oak)
52 x 84 cm
In a gilded wooden frame 77 x 108 cm
The painting depicts a striking seascape in stormy weather: the rough sea crashes against a rocky cliff while several boats, including a small fishing boat near the shore and a merchant ship offshore, attempt to continue on their course despite the weather conditions.
A typical subject of Baroque painting, the fury of the sea was a very popular theme, especially in 17th-century Dutch art, capable of representing the power of nature in a dynamic, exciting and dramatic way.
The resistance of the ships against the waves, where we can imagine the crew struggling to maintain control, was intended as a metaphor for life, indicating a close but vulnerable interrelationship with the forces of nature, often in contrast with the fragility of man.
The work's painting style and composition clearly reference the hand of Julius Porcellis (Rotterdam 1610 – Leiden 1645), a painter of the Dutch Golden Age specialising in seascapes and son of Jan Porcellis (1584–1632), from whom he was trained and under whose influence he remained throughout his life.
Even during the 17th and 18th centuries, art connoisseurs found it difficult to distinguish between the work of the father and that of the son.
As can be seen in many of his seascapes, Porcellis depicted the stormy sea breaking against a high rock formation. The three-masted ship in the distance, known as a pinnacle, with its sails lowered to protect it from the stormy winds, is also one of his signature features.
Our work can be compared, for example, to the painting ‘Fishing Boat in Rough Sea’, kept at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich (1). It can also be compared to ‘Expedition in Rough Sea’ at Kingston Lacy Estate in Dorset (2), or to a work kept at the Lakenhal Museum in Leiden (3). Julius Porcellis' paintings are relatively rare, especially on the antiques market. We can mention the work “Ships in Distress off a Rocky Coast”, which was sold at Christie's on 8 December 2023 (4).
Our view is typical of the master, with his classic compositional style that made him highly regarded at home and abroad, promoting a new style and subject in marine painting by focusing on cloudy skies and rough waters.
Porcellis' contribution to Dutch art also lies in his emphasis on the effects of light: the composition is enveloped in a strong luminosity, with a cloud-filled sky from which flashes of light spread out, reverberating on the water and illuminating the foaming waves, highlighting the three-dimensionality of the painting.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold complete with a nice frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.
We take care of and organise the transport of purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
If you would like to see this or other works in person, we would be delighted to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, at Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We look forward to seeing you!
Please contact us for any information or to arrange a visit, we will be happy to assist you.
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