The present lot was acquired by the grandmother of the present owner who married into a wealthy Italian family. She held the position of vice-consul of Austria in Naples and her husband was a bank attorney. It is believed the painting may have been a wedding gift. 

The IR-reflectogram of the present work does reveal underdrawing, though it is not possible to determine whether this is Aivazovsky’s hand or another. The application of paint in the sky is not uncharacteristic of Aivazovsky and there are parallels between the somewhat static depiction of the sea in the present work with the sharp peaks and troughs in the waves of works of his from the 1840s. Cleaning and conservation work may allow for a more conclusive analysis of authorship.