Shipwreck off the Coast

The sea is wild and tempestuous beneath a stormy sky. On the beach fishermen busy themselves with their boats, while others in the distance attempt to save the crew of a sinking ship. From the dune, an elegantly dressed couple watch the scene unfold.

Porcellis used a limited palette of mainly browns and greys for his painting. Yet the end result is so convincing that you can almost feel the cold, the rain and the turmoil of the shipwreck as you look at it. And that of course was exactly what was so appealing about this seascape.