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Konstantinos Volanakis
A busy harbour
1885-1890
oil on canvas
51 x 81.5 cm
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In this landscape, Volanakis once again emphasises the monumentality of the scene through the perspective he chooses. With his usual morphoplastic vocabulary, he juxtaposes the depiction of the land with that of the sea and masterfully demonstrates the contrasts in colour. On the left, the composition transforms into a seascape, in the centre of which dominates an impressive sailboat, its sails disappearing in the open sea, while numerous sailing vessels of various types are depicted on the right, in the background. In the foreground is the stone dock and next to it a moored vessel with a sakoleva sail and a sailor. On the dock, sailors are cleaning nets, a fisherman is fishing with a rod, and a couple is gazing out over the sea, while below people can be seen in front of boats and sailboats pulled ashore. The striking details on the masts, rigging, sails and oars, as well as the unique features of the fishermen’s garments in their fezzes, hoods or straw hats, reveal the painter’s descriptive mood.

Bibliography


Marilena Z. Kassimati (curator), Constantinos Volanakis: Poet of the Sea, exhibition catalogue, Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, Hellenic Maritime Museum, Athens 2009, pp. 125, 182.

Ioannis Paloumpis, The Boats of Volanakis, catalogue of the exhibition ‘Constantinos Volanakis: Poet of the Sea’, Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, Hellenic Maritime Museum, Athens 2009, p. 65.

Takis Mavrotas (curator), Constantinos Volanakis: The Father of Greek Seascape Painting, exhibition catalogue, B&M Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts, Athens 2018, pp. 106-107.

Thodoris Koutsogiannis (curator), Constantinos Volanakis: Nostos of the Sea. Artworks from the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation collection, exhibition catalogue, Municipal Art Gallery of Chania, pp. 40, 36, 78-79.

Sotheby’s / London, The Greek Sale, 17/04/2008.

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