Constantinos Volanakis Greek, 1837-1907

Constantinos Volanakis, 'the bard of the Greek sea', was one of the most important figures in Greek marine painting during the nineteenth century. A member of the Munich school, where he initially studied under Karl von Piloty, Volanakis executed some of his most famous works, such as The Circus (National Gallery and Alexandros Soutzos Museum) and The Boat Kaiser at the Battle of Lissa (Österreichische Galerie, Vienna) in the Bavarian capital during his stay there from 1864 to 1883. Striving to produce a marine aesthetic capable of ennobling the sea, those who live by it and the complex technologies to which it gave rise, Volanakis's compositions were both lyrical and atmospheric.

Painted in Munich, Pushing out to Sea is a typical example of the bold and modern style that Volanakis employed when painting scenes from everyday life. In contrast to his historical maritime compositions, which were executed in the meticulous style of his Munich tutors, Pushing out to Sea stands out through its immediacy and spontaneity of execution.