Old oil painting on canvas, French school, 18th century

Oil on canvas. French school of the second half of the 18th century. Probably the work of a follower of Claude Joseph Vernet (1714-1789), a French painter specialised in marine scenes who painted storm and shipwreck glimpses several times. The scene takes place on a rocky coast, near a village built on the cliff above; a strong storm is underway, triggering a lightning bolt, coming from the top right, above a few frightened figures of travellers, and directed towards the sailing ship that is at the mercy of the strong waves. The sky is filled with black clouds, although in the distance a patch of blue seems to be beginning to open up. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a period frame.