Dutch school of the XVIII century

Dutch school of the 18th century.
"Naval battle".
Oil on canvas.
It presents punctures and faults.
Measurements: 48 x 69 x 2 cm.

This "Naval Battle" of Dutch school fully responds to the sailor taste inherited from the Dutch Golden Age, still in force in the illustrated century. The composition is organized around the drama of the confrontation between ships, represented with great attention to the sails, the structure of the hull and the effects of combat. The scene is set in a rough sea, resolved by dynamic brushstrokes and hallmarks of light that emphasize the danger and energy of the confrontation.

The sky, loaded with dense clouds and turbulent lighting, reinforces the epic atmosphere characteristic of the genre, while the slightly low viewpoint accentuates the monumentality of the ships. The use of a dark palette, with warm touches in the glow of fire or the muffled sun, is part of the Dutch seafaring tradition developed since the 17th century and prolonged in the 18th century, where the visual narration of combat, nautical precision and the truthful representation of the maritime atmosphere prevail.