Three-masted sailing ship, Late 18th century

In dark waters shaken by the wind and partially illuminated by a faint light from the sky, the romantic marine scene shows a three-masted sailing ship on which the Australian flag flies, hit by a wave caused by an ongoing storm. The light source reveals the conclusion of the difficult moment to which the ship is subjected, the sea is indeed agitated but the waters will calm down shortly thanks to the luminous gash that signals the change in the weather: the rain has stopped and the blue shades- purples are about to replace the brightened tones of blue. The sailing ship also heads straight towards a destination already sighted, the port of a volcanic island with a sort of fortification perched on a hill, largely hidden by the fulcrum of the entire composition, the sailing ship.                                                                                                                                            

The painting, which can be dated to the last years of the 18th century, anticipates the spectacular marine scenarios of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817-1900).

ASORstudio