Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Pieter Mulier, called the Tempest (Haarlem, 1637 - Milan, 1701)
Marina in a Storm with Vessels
Oil on canvas
73 x 97 cm. - 101 X 130 cm.
This evocative seventeenth-century coastal view is rightfully part of the production of Pieter Mulier, known as the Tempest (Haarlem, 1637 - Milan, 1701), a leading exponent of seventeenth-century Flemish art, displaying with remarkable quality the typical traits of his production, which made him excel in this particular pictorial vein of navies with storms and turbulent seas.
The composition is masterfully orchestrated: the gaze falls on the elegant sailing ship with sails swollen by the force of the wind, caught in the storm as it stands near a high rocky promontory on which stands an ancient fortification.
We see the skilful use of pictorial material and light tones, applied with rapid touches to convey a lively effect of movement, creating a truly unsettling illusion of waves swept up to crash against the rocks.
Mulier masterfully captured the dramatic force of the narrative, where the looming cliff face, the rushing waves enveloping the hulls of the ships and the great chasing clouds give the whole a sublime nuance.
These themes, typical of the Baroque taste, enjoyed great success during the 17th century as the taste that could be derived from observing the mighty power of the sea was highly appreciated, as it was highly decorative and apt to arouse the awe of the observer.
Although Pieter Mulier's training took place at home in his father's workshop, which initiated him into marine depictions, his stay in Italy, in Rome, from 1666 to 1670, collaborating in particular with Gaspard Dughet, was fundamental for him. Also documented in Piacenza and Venice, his paintings appear in the major collections of the time.
The work is of excellent quality and the lighting that characterises the intermediate planes of his entire production here is particularly intense and emphasises the dramatic nature of the scene. Similar works are held in Italy (Burrasca, Rome, Doria Pamphili Gallery) and in foreign collections (Landscape in a Storm, Dresden, Gemäldegalerie).
Delevery information :
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Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
