The Day after the Shipwreck

The early work of Paul-Jean Clays is dominated by the Romantic influence of his French teachers. He integrated this influence in representations of famous sailing ships, foreign ports as well as shipwrecks, as is the case here in The day after the shipwreck. The painting is dominated by a romantic atmosphere, for example in the detailed representation of the badly…

The early work of Paul-Jean Clays is dominated by the Romantic influence of his French teachers. He integrated this influence in representations of famous sailing ships, foreign ports as well as shipwrecks, as is the case here in The day after the shipwreck. The painting is dominated by a romantic atmosphere, for example in the detailed representation of the badly battered ship, the wild seas and the menacing clouds in the distance, elements that all refer to the storm which has swept through.