Emilios Prosalentis

Born of a rich artistic heritage, Emilios Prosalentis was the grandson of the sculptor Pavlos Prosalentis, son of the famed Corfiote portraitist Spyros Prosalentis and the brother of Pavlos Prosalentis. Emilios initially studied painting under his father, before moving to Paris where he continued to paint while studying engineering. Made an officer in the engineering corps of the Greek Fleet upon his return to Greece, Prosalentis depicted the harbour and marine scenes as he saw them from his life on a naval boat. These paintings, combined with the depictions of historical events from various sea battles, would become the oeuvre with a maritime leitmotiv for which the artist is today celebrated.

In the present work the modern clashes with the established: the time-honoured practice of maritime painting illustrates a traditional double-masted sailing ship's encounter with a modern steamship. The scene's Greek origins are made clear with the Hellenic flag fluttering briskly from the mast in the foreground. The work's dynamism is rooted in the choppy, frothing waves, the crisp detailing and the vivid variety of the blues of the palette.