Lot 124 Dα

The present work shows a naval battle between Christian and Ottoman soldiers in a tense and densely populated scene. The image's dramatic effect is enhanced by the extreme close-up viewpoint chosen by the artist. This turbulent manner of depicting battle scenes can be attributed to the italo-flemish painter Cornelis de Wael, who originated from one of the largest families of artists in Antwerp but spent the majority of his life in Genoa and Rome.