Storm at Sea

In the past doubts have been raised about the attribution of this painting to Bruegel: the name of Joos de Momper, a landscape painter who became a master in the Antwerp guild in 1581, has been mentioned. However, the painting shows similarities to a drawing by Bruegel. The prominence of the barrel and the whale has led the painting to be associated with the contemporary saying: "If the whale plays with the barrel that has been thrown to him and gives the ship time to escape, then he represents the man who misses the true good for the sake of futile trifles." This sense would be underscored by the church outlined against the horizon, which stands for safety amid the storms of life.