Constantinos Volanakis

Private Collection, Athens

Volanakis' illustration of the harbour of Volos shows the budding growth of a prosperous Mediterranean port town. The neo-classical buildings, green oases and grid of squares and streets are seen in the early stages of development in The Harbour of Volos, and the picturesque nature of the townscape is an elegant background to Volanakis' signature ships and elements of maritime industry. Large, many-rigged ships populate the harbour as the viewer focuses on one of Volanakis' monumental steamships anchored at port. This respect for fastidious detail was the legacy of his academic training in Munich as well as a passion for the maritime and seafront geography of the Mediterranean.