Stormy Sea With Ships, Matthieu Van Plattenberg (antwerp 1608 - Paris 1660)

Matthieu Van Plattenberg (Antwerp 1608 - Paris 1660) workshop of
Stormy sea with ships

Oil on canvas
90 x 120 cm - In antique frame 103 x 133 cm

Full details of the work (click HERE)

This evocative coastal view, dating from between the late 17th and early 18th centuries, where the choppy waves of the sea crash violently against the ships sailing along, is clearly the work of the workshop of the Flemish artist Matthieu Van Plattenberg (Antwerp 1608 - Paris 1660), a leading exponent of 17th-century Flemish art.

The centrepiece of the scene is a large vessel, at the mercy of the waves and in obvious difficulty near the rocks, with the crew busy trying to prevent it from sinking, while another vessel struggles with the same difficulties but further from the shore.

We find all the pictorial characteristics of Van Plattenberg, exhibited with remarkable pictorial qualities, which made the author excel in this pictorial genre and in the representation of storms with turbulent seas: in the canvas, he has masterfully captured the power of the narrative, where the arrival of the storm is marked by the threatening sky with large clouds chasing each other, and the swollen sea with giant waves enveloping the hulls of the ships.

The scene is intensely dramatic, with vivid light filtering through the clouds, accentuating and contributing to the overall sense of vigour in the painting. The brightness, with particular attention to the light tones in the waves and clouds, is used to convey a lively effect of movement, creating the realistic illusion of breaking waves and the tension of the wind.

Born in Antwerp in 1608, a pupil of Andries van Eertvelt, he spent most of his career outside Flanders, first in Italy and then in France, where he played an important role in the theme of sea storms, which enjoyed great success during the 17th century, as the intense drama that the stormy sea could convey was appreciated by collectors. In Italy, in particular, he became a reliable reference point for Pieter Mulier il Tempesta, but also for painters such as Salvator Rosa, Antonio Francesco Peruzzini and Marco Ricci.

The growing prosperity of the Dutch and Flemish merchant classes had created a strong demand for paintings for the walls of homes and offices, no longer with the classic historical or religious subjects, but depicting scenes more closely related to everyday life, such as cityscapes, landscapes and, above all, seascapes.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with a beautiful antique gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

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