Boats at the coast, Marmora – Tuscula. From the journey to Palestine

Marmora and Tuscula were likely ports along Ciągliński's Mediterranean route to Palestine, and this coastal scene with boats documents the maritime context of a Holy Land journey in 1901, when travelers reached Jaffa or Haifa by steamship via Constantinople and the eastern Mediterranean. The seascape is unusual within the Palestine series for its focus on European or eastern Mediterranean coastal life rather than specifically Palestinian subjects. Ciągliński's training as a landscape and marine painter allows him to bring the same optical attentiveness to this transitional subject that he applies throughout the journey, treating the Mediterranean world as a unified visual experience rather than dividing it into sacred and secular zones.

Boats at a Mediterranean quayside are handled with energetic, loaded brushstrokes that capture reflections and the play of afternoon light on water. The color scheme of blues, greys, and the warm tones of wooden hulls is built up with confident gestural marks that prioritize light effect over detailed finish.