Francesco Berretta

Francesco Berretta painted religious scenes in 17th-century Italy, often on church walls. His Navicella (1628) shows a small boat crowded with figures against a stormy sky. The work’s tiny, swirling waves feel almost like a shipwreck in miniature.

Berretta worked during the same decades as Caravaggio, but his style stayed quieter, with softer light and careful folds in clothing. If you like this kind of painted drama, tap Navicella to zoom in on the faces and the way the light catches the wood of the boat.