At the
end of the seventeenth century an artistic trend developed for representing
extreme situations, connected with upheavals of the natural elements. Lissandrino and his collaborators produced many works
in this genre, linked in particular to sea scenes and choosing for
protagonists humble figures, of the people. In
these works, the human subjects have the same importance as the natural
backgrounds. Their forms are robust and their poor belongings are represented
in detail, while great accuracy is also used in depicting the movements of
the water. Studies have allowed Magnasco's collaborator in this painting to
be recognised as Antonio Francesco Peruzzini.