Naval Battles

Naval battles combine the three painting challenges of Vasilis: sea, action and history. With the series of 17 artworks, the painter deeply inspired by the historical events, fulfils a project: to present the heroes and the unknown side of the Greek Revolution of 1821: the great moments of the war at the sea. Vasilis presents the only complete Naval Battle collection of artworks from the Greek War of Independence. Each artwork depicts a specific naval battle and is a result of a study of the historical events and not a random rendering. Another one, the only exception but equally dynamic, refers to the Second World War and decorates a room in the War Museum of Thessaloniki.

Vasilis unfolds his inner world by presenting the dramatic moments of each naval battle with unbelievable detail. What he wants to give is to put the viewer in the centre of the adventurous scene, like a chronicler. He captures the moment and the peak of the action: burning frigates and sailboats, torn flags, fire on the water, explosions, smokes, an intense situation that fills the viewer with awe and perhaps desire to study the events. The naval battles of Vasilis Bottas are a rare painting subject and perhaps the most difficult creations of the great painter.