Lot 230: JULIUS PORCELLIS

JULIUS PORCELLIS ROTTERDAM BEFORE 1610-1645 LEIDEN SHIPS IN DISTRESS OFF A ROCKY COAST oil on panel 12 1/4 by 15 5/8 in.; 31.3 cm by 39.7 cm.

Anonymous sale ('Various Properties'), New York, Christie's, 10 January 1990, lot 142;
There purchased by the present collector.

Ships in a Distress off a Rocky Coast is one of many marine compositions that Dutch artist Julius Porcellis painted. Son of Jan Porcellis, also a marine painter, Julius was his father's pupil, and their paintings are quite similar in composition and style. They both utilize the same monochromatic palette and a low horizon line, with an emphasis on atmospheric conditions. The most remarkable element in Porcellis's works is the ominous mood he evokes. In the present panel, for example, the distressed ships and spectators who are captivated by their imminent danger are nearly minimized; human action becomes overshadowed by the surrounding environment.