The galley is the protagonist – alone or together with the imposing sailing galleons – of the iconography of marina of the modern age. Not only in scenes of bloody naval battles, often it is represented immersed in quiet maritime landscapes, in moments of everyday life of coastal communities, in the re-enactment of episodes from classical mythology, that during the Renaissance return to interest.
The galley itself is an expression of the art of the time: sculptures and decorations embellish it, the same sinuous shapes make it compare to a “young girl”. This symbology clashes with the conditions of slaves engaged in rowing, which however cannot be exploited beyond a certain limit: on them depends good navigation.