Constantinos Volanakis

The present work is a prime example of Volanakis' sensitive depiction of atmospheric conditions and natural elements within the cadre of the traditional marine painting. The painting is infused with delicate detail, complementing while not overwhelming the calm, glowing ambience for which Volanakis' work is renowned, revealing impressionist, plein air tendencies stylistically advanced for Greece at the time. The broad expanse of horizon reflected in the tranquil surface of the sea, frames the expertly rendered boats and the figures.  

Volanakis' blossoming interest in marine subjects was first exposed during his tenure as an accountant in the sugar firm of his brother-in-law Georgios Afentoulis, when his idle sketches of the harbour and small ships on the firm's ledgers drew the enthusiastic attention of his employer. Volanakis was duly sent, with the financial backing of his family, to the Academy of Arts in Munich, where he studied under Karl von Piloty. After his studies he worked in Munich and travelled to Venice and Trieste, cities whose picturesque port and harbour-oriented topography would prove inspirational.