Night landscapes have always been a fascinating subject in the history of art. The lighting of the scene under the moonlight creates an impressive atmosphere while from a technical point of view it is a challenge for the artist who is called upon to correctly manage the color gradations in order to achieve the right balance between light and shadow. In the painting from the Laskaridis collection, a sailboat sails in the open sea. On it, two figures seated on the stern can be seen. On the right side of the work, there is the coastline and the lighthouse while there is another sailboat sailing in the quiet night waters. In the center of the sky, a full moon dominates, the light of which is reflected in the liquid element and constitutes the source of light for the entire composition. The scene exudes tranquility while the light ripples of the sea give the impression that a light breeze is wrinkled its surface.
Emilios Prosalentis (1859 – 1926) was an expert on the sea as his work as a naval engineer required him to spend hours at it. In this particular work he chooses not to be exhaustive in the details of the rendering of the ships but removes elements as what interests him is the rendering of the atmosphere and the impression of the moment.
