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A dozen seas by Ivan Aivazovsky: geography from paintings
We recall the famous canvases of Aivazovsky and study from them the marine geography of the 19th century.
Adriatic Sea
Venetian lagoon. View of the island of San Giorgio. 1844. Tretyakov Gallery
The sea, which is part of the Mediterranean, was named in antiquity for the ancient port of Adria (in the region of Venice). Now the water has receded from the city for 22 kilometers, and the city has become overland.
In the 19th century, reference books wrote about this sea: “... the most dangerous wind is northeastern - Boreas, also southeastern - sirocco; southwestern - siffanto, less often and less prolonged, but often very strong; it is especially dangerous near the mouth of the Po, when it suddenly changes to the southeast and turns into a violent storm (furiano). Between the islands of the eastern coast, these winds are doubly dangerous, for in the narrow channels and in each bay they blow differently; the worst are the Boreas in winter and the hot "south" (Slovenian) in summer. Already the ancients often talk about the dangers of Adria, and from the numerous prayers for salvation and the sailors' vows preserved in the churches of the Italian coast, it is clear that the changeable weather has long been the subject of complaints of coastal swimmers ... ”(1890).
Atlantic Ocean
Napoleon on Saint Helena. 1897. Feodosia Picture Gallery. I.K. Aivazovsky
The ocean got its name in antiquity, in honor of the mythical titan Atlanta, who held the firmament somewhere near Gibraltar on his shoulders.
“… The time recently used by sailing vessels in various directions indicated is expressed in the following numbers: from Pas-de-Calais to New York 25–40 days; back 15-23; to the West Indies 27-30, to the equator 27-33 days; from New York to the equator 20-22, in summer 25-31 days; from the English Channel to Bahia 40, to Rio de Janeiro 45, to Cape Horn 66, to Kapstadt 60, to the Gulf of Guinea 51 days. Of course, the duration of the crossing varies with the weather; more detailed guidance can be found in the Passage tables published by the Board of Trade, London. Steamships are less dependent on the weather, especially postal ones, equipped with all the improvements of modern times and now crossing the Atlantic Ocean in all directions ... ”(1890).
Baltic Sea
Great roadstead in Kronstadt. 1836. RM
The sea got its name either from the Latin word balteus ("belt"), since, according to ancient geographers, it encircled Europe, or from the Baltic word baltas ("white").
“… Due to the low salt content, shallow depth and severity of winter, the Baltic Sea freezes over a large area, although not every winter. So, for example, travel on ice from Reval to Helsingfors is not possible every winter, but in severe frosts and deep straits between the Aland Islands and both coasts of the mainland are covered with ice, and in 1809 the Russian army with all military weights crossed here on ice to Sweden and at two other locations across the Gulf of Bothnia. In 1658 the Swedish king Karl X crossed the ice from Jutland to Zeeland ... ”(1890).
Ionian sea
Naval battle at Navarino on October 2, 1827. 1846. Naval Academy. N.G. Kuznetsova
According to ancient myths, the sea, which is part of the Mediterranean, was named in honor of Zeus's beloved princess Io, who was turned into a cow by his wife, the goddess Hero. In addition, Hera sent a huge gadfly to Io, fleeing from which the poor thing swam across the sea.
“... Kefalonia has magnificent olive groves, but in general the Ionian Islands are treeless. Main products: wine, oil, southern fruits. The main occupations of the inhabitants: agriculture and sheep breeding, fishing, trade, shipbuilding; the manufacturing industry is in its infancy ... "
In the 19th century, this sea was the site of important naval battles: we talked about one of them, captured by Aivazovsky.
Cretan Sea
On the island of Crete. 1867. Feodosia Picture Gallery. I.K. Aivazovsky
Another sea, which is part of the Mediterranean, washes Crete from the north and is named after this island. "Crete" is one of the most ancient geographical names, it is found already in the Mycenaean linear letter "B" of the 2nd millennium BC. NS. Its meaning is unclear; perhaps in one of the ancient Anatolian languages it meant "silver."
“... Christians and Mohammedans are here in a terrible mutual enmity. Crafts in decline; the harbors, which were in a flourishing state under the Venetian domination, almost all became shallow; most of the cities are in ruins ... ”(1895).
Sea of marmara
Golden Horn Bay. Turkey. After 1845. Chuvash State Art Museum
The sea, located between the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean and divides the European part of Istanbul from the Asian one. It is named after the island of Marmara, where the famous quarries were located in ancient times.
“... Although the Sea of Marmara is in the exclusive possession of the Turks, its topography, as well as its physicochemical and biological properties, have been studied mainly by Russian hydrographers and scientists. The first detailed description of the shores of this sea was made on Turkish military ships in 1845-1848 by the hydrographer of the Russian fleet, Lieutenant-Commander Manganari ... "(1897).
North Sea
View of Amsterdam. 1854. Kharkov Art Museum
The sea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean, washes the shores of Europe from France to Scandinavia. In the 19th century in Russia it was called German, later the name was changed.
“... With the exception of the aforementioned very narrow area of great depths off the coast of Norway, the German Sea is the shallowest of all the coastal seas and even of all the seas, with the exception of the Sea of Azov. The German Sea together with the English Channel are the seas most visited by ships, since through it there is a way from the ocean to the first harbor of the globe - London ... ”(1897).
Arctic Ocean
Storm on the Arctic Ocean. 1864. Feodosia Picture Gallery. I.K. Aivazovsky
The current name of the ocean was officially approved in 1937, before that it was called differently - including the North Sea. In ancient Russian texts, there is even a touching version - the Breathing Sea. In Europe, it is called the Arctic Ocean.
“… Attempts to reach the North Pole have so far been unsuccessful. The closest to the North Pole came the expedition of the American Peary, who set out in 1905 from New York on a specially built steamer Roosevelt and returned in October 1906 ”(1907).
Mediterranean Sea
Port of La Valletta on the island of Malta. 1844. RM
This sea became "Mediterranean" in the III century AD. NS. thanks to the Roman geographers. This large sea includes many small ones - in addition to those named here, these are Alboran, Balearic, Ikarian, Carpathian, Cilician, Cypriot, Levantine, Libyan, Ligurian, Myrtoian and Thracian.
“… Navigating the Mediterranean Sea at the present time, with the strong development of the steam fleet, does not present any particular difficulties, due to the comparative rarity of strong storms and thanks to the satisfactory fencing of shoals and shores with lighthouses and other warning signs. About 300 large lighthouses are distributed along the shores of continents and islands, the latter accounting for about 1/3, and of the remaining 3/4 are located on the European coast ... "(1900).
Tyrrhenian sea
Moonlit night in Capri. 1841. Tretyakov Gallery
The sea, which is part of the Mediterranean and located north of Sicily, was named after the character of ancient myths, the Lydian prince Tyrrenus, who drowned in it.
“... All the latifundia [large estates] of Sicily belong to large owners - aristocrats who live permanently either in mainland Italy, or in France and Spain. The shredding of land ownership often goes to extremes: the peasant owns one dugout on a piece of land of several square yards. In the seaside valley, where private property lies in fruit plantations, there are often peasant owners who have only 4–5 chestnut trees each ”(1900).
Black Sea
Black Sea (A storm begins to play on the Black Sea). 1881. Tretyakov Gallery
This name, probably associated with the color of the water during a storm, the sea received only in modern times. The ancient Greeks, who actively settled on its shores, called it at first Inhospitable, and then - Hospitable.
“… Urgent passenger and cargo shipping traffic between the Black Sea ports is supported by Russian ships (mainly of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade), Austrian Lloyd, French Messageries maritimes and Frayssinet et C-ie and Greek company Courtgi et C-ie under the Turkish flag. Foreign steamships visit almost exclusively the ports of Rumelia, Bulgaria, Romania and Anatolia, while the steamers of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade visit all ports of the Black Sea. The composition of the ships of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade in 1901 - 74 ships ... "(1903).
Aegean Sea
Patmos island. 1854. Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts. M.A. Vrubel
This part of the Mediterranean Sea, located between Greece and Turkey, is named after the Athenian king Aegeus, who threw himself into it from a cliff, thinking that his son Theseus was killed by the Minotaur.
“... Sailing in the Aegean Sea, which lies in the way of ships sailing from the Black and Marmara Seas, is generally very pleasant, thanks to good, clear weather, but in autumn and early spring storms are frequent, brought by cyclones going from the North Atlantic Ocean through Europe to Malaya Asia. The inhabitants of the islands are wonderful sailors ... ”(1904).
In the painting of Aivazovsky, the romantic motives of the works are very clearly visible. With each picture of this master, the viewer understands that his creative energy could not exhaust itself. After all, Aivazovsky's paintings can rightfully be called the majestic and emotional masterpieces of the 19th century.
The sea battles displayed on the canvas are especially impressive. Their palette, lines and shapes are filled with heroic pathos, but, despite this, the plot of the works of this artist is perceived in one breath. From the first moment you literally feel the cold and foaming whirlpool of waves, and with a little excitement and breath you watch how a huge, slightly creaking ship struggles with the boiling sea. Only brilliant artist could create such emotional compositions, among which the incomparable canvas "Among the waves" stands out for its improvisational style. A raging deadly element is vividly depicted here. Under the stormy sea and thunderous sky, with slightly flashing rays of the sun, you literally see numerous ships sunk in the sea.
With every brushstroke of the artist, paintings by Aivazovsky convey more and more drama. And the success of the master lies precisely in the enormous opportunities to convey the shocking realism of what is happening. The viewer seems to begin to see through the endless expanses of the waves, where the wreckage of the dead ships is shown. With such magnificent works, one can safely say that Aivazovsky's paintings are the works of a magnificent master who is in love with nature and the sea. He managed to preserve on each canvas the unforgettable expression and charm of spiritual warmth and light. And it is this loyalty unusual style and exciting stories captivates every connoisseur of the master's masterpiece talent.
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (Armenian: Հովհաննես Կոստանդինեսի Հայվազյան - Hovhannes Gayvazyan; July 17 (29), 1817 - May 2, 1900) - world famous Russian marine painter, collector, philanthropist. The most prominent Armenian artist of the 19th century. Brother of the Armenian historian and priest Gabriel Aivazovsky.
Hovhannes (Ivan Konstantinovich) Aivazovsky was born into the family of the merchant Konstantin (Gevorg) and Hripsime Gaivazovsky. On July 17 (29), 1817, the priest of the Armenian Church of the city of Feodosia made a note that Konstantin (Gevorg) Gayvazovsky and his wife Hripsime gave birth to "Hovhannes, the son of Gevorg Ayvazyan." Aivazovsky's ancestors were from the Galician Armenians who moved to Galicia from Turkish Armenia) in the 18th century.
Ivan Aivazovsky - Lord of the sea
The sea has always fascinated and delighted people with its incredible, enchanting beauty. Of course, it attracted many artists. Painters, landscape masters were inspired by beautiful sea views and transferred their emotions from what they saw to canvases.
Undoubtedly, Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was and is one of the greatest marine painters of all time. Born in Feodosia, Aivazovsky felt drawn to the sea. Having studied at the Academy of Arts and having visited many European countries, Ivan Konstantinovich experienced the influence of French classicism. Despite the fact that the artist has paintings with land landscapes, the sea is a real native element for him. He understands and reveals it better than anyone else. Aivazovsky easily conveys the "mood" of sea waters to the viewer: their duality, silence or fury. His paintings are simply mesmerizing. Looking at the canvases, the viewer is ready to simply dissolve in the depths of the sea.
The numerous landscapes capturing sunrises and sunsets at sea are simply grandiose. The heavenly purity and radiance of sun reflections on the silent surface of the water in the painting "Morning at the Sea" (1851), the enchanting contrast of the sunset in the painting "Brig Mercury after the victory over the Turkish ships" (1848), or a bright spot of sunset against the background of formidable, raging waves in the painting " The Ninth Wave "(1850). On many canvases, Aivazovsky showed the sea as a formidable element, with its huge foaming waves and rebellious character.
Author - Ela2012. This is a quote from this post
RUSSIAN ARTISTS Aivazovsky - the master of the sea (part 2).The remarkable English landscape painter Turner, admiring the painting of Aivazovsky, dedicated the following lines to him:
Forgive me artist
If I was wrong in taking the picture
for reality, -
But your work fascinated me
and delight took possession of me."Gulf of Naples in the early morning"
1893
Canvas, oil. 46 x 74.7 cm
Aivazovsky's work is a kind of marine encyclopedia. From it you can learn in detail about any state in which the water element is - calm, light excitement, storm, storm that gives the impression of a universal catastrophe. In his works, you can see the sea at any time of the day - from radiant sunrises to moonlit nights; and at any time of the year, count dozens of shades that color the sea waves - from transparent, almost colorless through all conceivable nuances of blueness, blueness, azure to dense blackness. Aivazovsky perfectly knew how to convey the roll of a wave on a sandy shore so that the coastal sand shining through the frothy water could be seen. He knew many techniques for depicting waves crashing against coastal rocks. But to reproduce the sea as it is, Aivazovsky considered it impossible and therefore never painted from life, relying only on imagination.
Yalta
1899 58h94The sea appears in his paintings as a many-sided, sometimes an element that does not obey any laws, crushing a person, sometimes an alluring distance, a symbol of a romantic dream. Before the viewer there is an endless sea space and an endless sky above it. In the foreground - a wave with scallops of foam - "Aivazovsky's wave", as its contemporaries called it. The palette is unusually rich, it thickens from greenish, silvery, emerald shades to deep, blackening blue on the horizon. In the center is a lonely sail, a symbol of the insignificance of man in front of the universe and at the same time a sign of a romantic thirst for wandering.
Surf 1897 143х107Born in Feodosia, Aivazovsky felt drawn to the sea. Despite the fact that the artist has paintings with land landscapes, the sea is a real native element for him. He understands and reveals it better than anyone else. Aivazovsky easily conveys the "mood" of sea waters to the viewer: their duality, silence or fury. His paintings are simply mesmerizing. Looking at the canvases, the viewer is ready to simply dissolve in the depths of the sea.
Sea view
1899 38h50The painting "The Ninth Wave" (1850) belongs to the early period of Aivazovsky's work, marked by the desire to convey a special state of nature. It conveys the power awakened in a person by the elements. The sublime romantic feeling is conveyed in the color - in the contrasts of the deep dark green color of the waves, the haze that enveloped the dawn sun, in the shades of the foamy crests of the raging sea, in a bright spot of sunset against the backdrop of formidable, raging waves.
"The Ninth Wave"
1850
Canvas, oil. 221 x 332 cm
Despite the drama of the plot, the picture does not leave a gloomy impression; on the contrary, it is full of light and air and is all permeated by the rays of the sun. The painting was painted with the brightest colors of the palette, which includes a wide range of yellow, orange, pink and purple hues in the sky, combined with green, blue and purple in the water. A bright, major scale of colors sounds like a joyful hymn to the courage of people who conquer the blind forces of a terrible, but beautiful in its formidable greatness of the element. This painting found a wide response in the hearts of contemporaries and to this day remains one of the most popular in Russian painting.
“Aivazovsky himself, and indeed in all world art, does not have another picture that with such a breathtaking force would convey the all-crushing power of the elements, the inevitable horror of the impending giant wave, the“ ninth wave, ”writes N.G. Mashkovtsev. - In this picture, Aivazovsky's huge talent unfolded to its full extent. Rays of bright light breaking through torn clouds driven by the wind, rolling waves, foaming and transparent, living, changeable colors, striking in their brightness, beauty and realism, create an irresistible impression of power and greatness. "
Wave
1895 74h96In his work, one can trace the appearance of a number of paintings depicting the open sea at noon, painted in blue colors. The combination of cold blues, greens, grays gives the feeling of a fresh breeze, raising the swell of the sea. The beauty of these paintings lies in the crystal clarity, the sparkling radiance that they radiate. This cycle is usually called “blue Aivazovsky”.
Caucasus mountains from the sea
1899 59h94The numerous landscapes capturing sunrises and sunsets at sea are simply grandiose. Heavenly purity and radiance of sun reflections on the silent surface of the water in the painting "Morning by the Sea":
Morning by the sea
1849 85х101
"Fishermen by the sea"
1852
Oil on canvas 94 x 144
Yerevan
Gulf of Naples in the early morning
1897 61h94"Fishermen by the sea"
1852
Oil on canvas 94 x 144
State Art Gallery of Armenia
Yerevan
"Bathing sheep"
1877
Oil on canvas 56 x 74
Irkutsk Art Museum
Irkutsk
"View of Yalta in the evening"
1860s
Oil on canvas 82 x 110
Picture gallery
Gumri (Armenia
"Morning by the sea"
1883
Oil on canvas 110 x 163
National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus
Minsk
"Sunset"
1866
Oil on canvas 46 x 61
A. Shahinyan's collection
New York
"Sea"
1882
Oil on canvas 32 x 47
Rostov Regional Museum of Fine Arts
Rostov
RussiaIn his landscapes, Aivazovsky ties up a kind of intrigue: the situation is presented, as they say, “on the brink,” when the abyss is about to swallow people up or, conversely, allow them to survive. The viewer himself can imagine what a terrible thunderstorm passed at night, what disaster the ship's crew suffered, how the sailors died. The author has found precise means to depict the greatness, power and beauty of the sea.
"Off the coast of Yalta"
1872
Oil on canvas 62 x 80
Etchmiadzin Museum
Armenia
"Marina"
1874
Oil on canvas, 21 x 31
Museum of the Armenian Congregation of Mkhitarists
Venice. St. Lazarus
"Seascape"
1870
Oil on canvas 132 x 162
Dilijan Museum of Local Lore
Peterhof, Leningrad region
RussiaFor his graphic work, Aivazovsky used a variety of materials and techniques. A number of finely painted watercolors, made in one color - sepia, belong to the sixties. In 1860, Aivazovsky wrote an excellent series "The Sea after the Storm". Aivazovsky sent this watercolor as a gift to P.M. Tretyakov. Aivazovsky widely used coated paper. The Tempest (1855) was painted on paper tinted warm pink at the top and steel gray at the bottom. Using various methods of scratching out the tinted chalk layer, Aivazovsky conveyed well the foam on the crests of the waves and glare on the water.
The sixties and seventies are considered to be the heyday of Aivazovsky's creative talent. During these years he created a number of remarkable canvases: "Storm at Night" (1864), "Storm in the North Sea" (1865), which are among the most poetic paintings by Aivazovsky.
"Storm in the North Sea"
1865
Oil on canvas 276 x 202
Feodosia Art Gallery named after I. K. Aivazovsky
FeodosiaIK Aivazovsky Storm in the North Sea. 1865 g
Ivan EsaulkovOn a moonlit night on the North Sea
A handful of people with a formidable storm are arguing.
The moon looks at them from behind a cloud.
The wreckage of the mast heaves a wave.A furious wind broke the mast with a crash.
Huge waves burst into brilliance,
And after them the moonlight runs ...
Sinking ship silhouetteBarely noticeable, and the waves are getting steeper,
Torn clouds are drowning in the darkness of the night,
The moonlight track has laid down
Between two waves, and around her is darkness.Scraps of equipment are beating on the yard
The ship is under the gust of Boreus.
We feel all the senses sharpness
Groups of tired people on the raft.Maybe they will be saved, or later?
Waves hit the raft menacingly,
With each wave, the swing is stronger -
It seems like a splinter on the waves;With a furious roar the wind drives the wave;
The raft takes off, then, falling, sinks;
And people barely hold on to it -
Now in the light, now in the darkness of the night.Dali in the picture are barely distinguishable.
The storm is written so tangibly:
Phosphorescent moonlight
Wind gust, ship silhouette,The sail is torn, the tackle is torn,
Dark clouds, human misfortune -
Aivazovsky conveyed everything in canvas,
Not only predicting the end of the storm.Copyright: Ivan Esaulkov, 2012
Certificate of publication No. 112102602237
"Storm"
1872
Oil on canvas 110x132
State Museum Russian art
Kiev
Into the storm
1899 152х107
"The Storm at Cape Aya"
1875
Oil on canvas, 215 x 325
State Russian Museum
St. Petersburg
Storm over Evpatoria
1861 206.6х317.3F.M. wrote about her. Dostoevsky: “In his storm there is rapture, there is that eternal beauty that amazes the viewer in a living, real storm. And this property of Mr. Aivazovsky's talent cannot be called one-sidedness, if only because the storm itself is infinitely diverse. Let us only note that, perhaps, in the depiction of the endless variety of storms, no effect can seem exaggerated, and is this not why the viewer does not notice unnecessary effects in the storms of Mr. Aivazovsky? "
"Sea"
NS
1881lst, oil 49 x 42
State Museum of Arts named after A. Kasteev of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Almaty
Storm
1857
Canvas, oil
100 x 149
Tretyakov Gallery
In the painting "The Tempest", the raging sea and the stormy sky are transformed into a single indissoluble element. Blue-black clouds hang low over the water and make the silhouette of the ship and the outlines of mountains barely visible in the background almost indistinguishable.In the later years of his life, Aivazovsky experienced a new flowering of his talent. At the very beginning of the eighties, when the realistic direction was fully strengthened and flourished landscape painting when a mighty galaxy of landscape painters appeared, Aivazovsky wrote The Black Sea (1881). The harsh realistic truth of this picture is quite consonant with the painting of that era.
The sea is depicted on a cloudy day; waves, arising at the horizon, move towards the viewer, creating by their alternation a stately rhythm and a sublime structure of the picture. It is written in a restrained colorful scale that enhances its emotional impact. Aivazovsky knew how to see and feel the beauty of the sea element close to him, not only in the external pictorial effects, but also in the barely perceptible strict rhythm of her breathing.
This painting "The Black Sea (A storm begins to play out on the Black Sea)" marks the heyday of the talent of the marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky. Its first marine species were inhabited by sailing ships, boats and travelers, admiring the sea expanses from the shore. Subsequently, small seascapes were replaced by large-format, sometimes dramatic ones. The artist's favorite theme was the image of the power and beauty of the sea.
Black Sea. A storm begins to play out on the Black Sea
1881
Oil on canvas 149 x 208
State Tretyakov Gallery
MoscowIn the painting "The Black Sea", the main place is occupied by the infinite sea space and the same infinite sky above it. The wind is picking up, the waves are rolling, the lambs of foam are already boiling on the crests. The color of the darkening water is changeable and varied. From greenish-gray, silvery and light emerald shades in the center, the color thickens to a dark blue, almost black density, leading the gaze into the bottomless depth of the sea. On the horizon is the tiny sail of a fishing boat hurrying home.
I.N. Kramskoy considered "Black Sea" the best work of Aivazovsky.
I. N. Kramskoy wrote about the painting “The Black Sea” (1881): “There is nothing in the picture except water and sky, but water is an endless ocean, not stormy, but swaying, harsh, endless, and the sky, if possible, is even more endless ... This is one of the grandest pictures I have ever known. ”
In the waves
1893The grandiose canvas "Wave" is a vivid example of the artist's late work. Here the painter departs from the early romantic "flamboyance" and approaches a realistic solution. It is interesting to note that he creates this canvas at the age of 72.
Wave
1889, canvas, oil, 304 x 505 cm
State Russian Museum, St. PetersburgRepresenting the throat of a whirlpool, boiling in the stormy movement of waves, Aivazovsky admires the power of nature and as if compares with it the futility of human efforts - heavy leaden clouds are hanging low over the waves, the abyss is about to swallow the broken ship; there is probably no hope for the sailors trying to escape.
The master highlights the center of the composition with a white lump of foam, illuminated by a flash of lightning; in general, the coloring of the canvas is cold and gloomy.
Depicting the stormy movement of the waves, the painter admires the cyclopean power of nature and seems to compare with it the futility of human efforts: heavy leaden clouds hung low over the waves, the abyss is about to swallow the broken ship, there is no hope for the sailors trying to escape. The coloring of the picture is cold and gloomy.
Here the painter departs from the early romantic brightness of the palette and approaches a realistic solution.
Into the storm
1872 72h92The sky has always occupied a large place in the composition of Aivazovsky's paintings. The ocean of air - the movement of air, the variety of outlines of clouds and clouds, their formidable, impetuous run during a storm or the softness of the radiance at the hour of sunset on a summer evening sometimes by themselves created the emotional content of his paintings.
Storm off the coast of Nice
1885 118x150With every brushstroke of the artist, paintings by Aivazovsky convey more and more drama. And the success of the master lies precisely in the enormous opportunities to convey the shocking realism of what is happening. The viewer seems to begin to see through the endless expanses of the waves, where the wreckage of the dead ships is shown. With such magnificent works, one can safely say that Aivazovsky's paintings are the works of a magnificent master who is in love with nature and the sea. He managed to preserve on each canvas the unforgettable expression and charm of spiritual warmth and light. And it is precisely this loyalty to the unusual style and exciting subjects that captivates every connoisseur of the master's masterpiece talent.
Ocean 1896 67.5x100In 1867, Aivazovsky creates a large cycle of paintings associated with the uprising of the inhabitants of the island of Crete against the Turkish yoke.
In 1868, Aivazovsky undertook a trip to the Caucasus. He painted the foothills of the Caucasus with a chain of snowy mountains on the horizon, panoramas of mountain ranges stretching into the distance like petrified waves, the Darial Gorge and the village of Gunib, lost among the rocky mountains.
"Chains of the Caucasus Mountains"
1869
Oil on canvas 139 x 170
Yaroslavl
Russia
"View of Tiflis"
1868
Oil on canvas 36 x 47
State Museum of Art of GeorgiaAmong the dozens of paintings on the Armenian theme, the portraits of the artist's grandmother and his older brother Gabriel, Catholicos Khrimyan, Novonakhichevan mayor A. Khalibyan, are especially attracting attention for the skill of execution and psychologism. Aivazovsky created a number of paintings on biblical and historical subjects, including “The Baptism of the Armenian People” and “The Oath. Commander Vardan ”. Among these works is the large canvas “The Descent of Noah from Ararat”, where the refined harmony of light tones conveys the freshness of the air and the grandeur of the biblical land permeated with morning light.
Belonging to the confession of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Aivazovsky created a number of paintings on biblical as well as historical subjects. Among the latter are "The Baptism of the Armenian People" and "The Oath. Commander Vardan", which once adorned one of the Feodosia Armenian churches and awakened patriotic feelings in parishioners.
The plot for the painting "The Baptism of the Armenian People" was a turning point in the history of Armenian culture. Its prosperity was promoted by the adoption of Christianity by the Armenians. At the very beginning of the 4th century, during the reign of Tsar Trdat III (287-330), who relied on Rome in the fight against the expansion of the Persian state of the Sassanids, this religion was legalized as a state religion. Thus, Armenia is today one of the most ancient Christian states.
Baptism of the Armenian people by Gregory the Illuminator (IV c)
"Oath. Commander Vardan"
In 1869, Aivazovsky traveled to Egypt to participate in the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal. As a result of this trip, a panorama of the canal was painted and a number of paintings were created, reflecting the nature, life and life of Egypt, with its pyramids, sphinxes, camel caravans.
Aivazovsky was able to convey in the landscape that state when a turning point occurs and the sea gives way after indignation, calming down and resigning. This is shown, for example, in the painting Rainbow (1873). "
In 1873 Aivazovsky created the outstanding painting "Rainbow". In the plot of this picture - a storm at sea and a ship dying near a rocky coast - there is nothing unusual for Aivazovsky's work. But its colorful scale, pictorial execution was a completely new phenomenon in Russian painting of the seventies.
Depicting this storm, Aivazovsky showed it as if he himself was among the raging waves. Through the rushing whirlwind, the silhouette of a sinking ship and the indistinct outlines of the rocky coast are barely noticeable. A hurricane wind blows off the spray from the crests of the waves. The clouds in the sky melted into a transparent, moist veil. A stream of sunlight made its way through this chaos, fell like a rainbow on the water, imparting a multicolor color to the color of the picture. The whole picture is painted in the finest shades of blue, green, pink and purple paints. The same tones, slightly enhanced in color, convey the rainbow itself. It shimmers with a subtle mirage. From this, the rainbow acquired transparency, softness and purity of color. The painting "Rainbow" was new, higher
step in the work of Aivazovsky.
Rainbow
1873
Canvas, oil
102 x 132
Tretyakov GalleryHe was attracted by the unusual effects of light reflected in the plane of the water, and the rainbow motif, so beloved by romantics, was not accidental. In Aivazovsky's painting, a rainbow hovering over a stormy sea paints water splashes, and the sea water shining through them takes on a pinkish tint. A high wave closes the horizon, and the sea element, transformed by rainbow light, with which people fleeing from a sinking ship are fighting, becomes the main character of the canvas.
"A storm off the rocky shores"
1875
Oil on canvas 73 x 102
Armenian Society for Cultural Relations
YerevanLight as an idea plays a significant role in Aivazovsky's work. By depicting the sea, clouds and air space, the artist actually depicts light. Light in his art is a symbol of life, hope and faith, a symbol of eternity.
Storm on the Arctic Ocean
1864 208х148Aivazovsky was close to many of the Itinerants. His brilliant skill was highly appreciated by Kramskoy, Repin, Stasov and Tretyakov. Aivazovsky began to organize exhibitions of his paintings in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and in many other large cities of Russia long before the organization of traveling exhibitions. In 1879, Ivan Konstantinovich visits Genoa, where he collects materials about the discovery of America by Columbus. In 1880, Aivazovsky opened the first peripheral art gallery in Russia in Feodosia.
"Storm"
1886
Oil on canvas 84 x 142
Yaroslavl Art Museum
Yaroslavl
RussiaIn 1898, Aivazovsky painted the painting "Among the Waves", which became the pinnacle of his work. The artist depicted a raging element - a stormy sky and a stormy sea, covered with waves, as if boiling in collision with one another.
Among the waves
1898, canvas, oil, 284x429 cm
Feodosia Art Gallery named after I.K. AivazovskyHe abandoned the usual details in his paintings in the form of wreckage of masts and dying ships, lost in the boundless sea space.
He knew many ways to dramatize the plots of his paintings, but did not resort to any of them while working on this work. "Among the waves", as it were, continues to reveal in time the content of the painting "The Black Sea": if in one case the agitated sea is depicted, in the other it is already raging, at the moment of the highest formidable state of the sea element.
This is the fruit of a long tireless work and searches of a master's entire life. It was written, like most of his works, by a free improvisational method. The picture is full of movement and expression. Only a great artist could so amazingly easily, literally in one breath, depict on the canvas a boiling, moving and foaming whirlpool of waves. The picturesque palette consists of a grayish-bluish-greenish color with the finest shades and nuances. A ray of the sun passing along the diagonal of the canvas enhances the color scheme so much that a narrow strip of a stormy sky does not violate the general color of the major. The masterfully painted snow-white, weightless lacy foam gives the canvas a special state of joy and uplifting feelings. In his heart, the artist remained a romantic until the last days of his life. This canvas can be attributed to a phenomenal phenomenon in fine arts.
The mastery of the painting "Among the Waves" is the fruit of the long and hard work of the artist's entire life. His work on it proceeded quickly and easily. The brush, obedient to the artist's hand, sculpted exactly the shape that the artist wanted, and put the paint on the canvas in the way that the experience of skill and the instinct of a great artist who did not correct the once applied stroke suggested to him. Apparently, Aivazovsky himself was aware that the painting "Among the Waves" is much higher in the execution of all previous works recent years... Despite the fact that after its creation he worked for two more years, arranged exhibitions of his works in Moscow, London and St. Petersburg, he did not take this picture out of Feodosia, bequeathed along with other works that were in his art gallery, hometown Feodosia.
The painting "Among the Waves" did not exhaust the creative possibilities of Aivazovsky. In the following time, he created several more paintings, no less beautiful in execution and content.In 1899, he painted a small picture, excellent in clarity and freshness of color, built on a combination of bluish-green water and pink in the clouds - "Calm at the Crimean coast."
Calm off the Crimean coast
Genre: seascape
Base: canvas
Technique: oil
Location: Feodosia gallery, FeodosiaAs the creative experience and skill of Aivazovsky accumulated, in the process of the artist's work there was a noticeable shift that affected his preparatory drawings. Now he creates a sketch of a future work from imagination, and not from a full-scale drawing, as he did in the early period of creativity. Aivazovsky was not always immediately satisfied with the solution found in the sketch, for example, there are three versions of the sketch for his last painting "The Explosion of the Ship". Aivazovsky spoke about the method of his work: "Having sketched a plan of the picture I have conceived on a piece of paper with a pencil on a piece of paper, I set to work and, so to speak, give myself up to it with all my heart."
With indefatigability and amazing speed, the artist worked until the end of his days. He died in Feodosia on May 2, 1900 while working on the painting "The Explosion of the Turkish Ship".
Explosion of the ship
1900 67x96.5
This is the last painting, unfinished.According to the will of Aivazovsky, he was buried in Feodosia in the courtyard of the Surb Sargis church, where he was baptized and where he was married. The gravestone inscription - the words of the 5th century historian Movses Khorenatsi, carved in ancient Armenian - reads: "Born mortal, left an immortal memory."
Undoubtedly, the most popular painting of the seascape is "The Ninth Wave" (1850), now this painting is kept in the Russian Museum. Perhaps, the romantic nature of the artist is most strongly conveyed in it.
A raging ocean, a group of sailors thirsting for salvation on the wreckage of the masts ... And the first morning rays of the sun, giving hope for the best. Aivazovsky seems to say: "Look what these people had to go through, what a wreck their ship suffered." He paints the courage of sailors against the backdrop of radiant waves and strong winds. The painting is full of light, warmth and air. The painter did not regret bright colors and fully expressed all the power of both the water element and people.
"Sea. Koktebel "- one of the most beautiful paintings by Aivazovsky, filled with the luxury of bright colors.
On it, the artist depicted his homeland, Feodosia, where he spent the best years of his life. This work is kept in the Aivazovsky Art Gallery in the same resort town of Ukraine. A sophisticated combination of orange, pink, lilac colors give this picture a unique warmth. The delicate sky, rendered in the mother-of-pearl of the sunset, is intertwined with light waves. Thanks to this, the picture plays, it breathes with vitality, the unusual captivating beauty of the Black Sea. Here Ivan Aivazovsky achieved true mastery of the marine painter.
In 1848, Aivazovsky issued another masterpiece in oil - "Chesme battle".
The artist showed on the canvas one of the most heroic battles in the history of the Russian fleet, which took place on the night of June 26, 1770. How accurately he conveys what he did not see himself, but the sailors survived. Ships burn and explode all around, masts flare up, their fragments fly into the air. Scarlet fire mixes with gray water, like our Russians, sailors with Turkish ones. The bright moon looks down on the battle, as if predicting the impending victory over the Turkish fleet.
Another feat of Russian sailors was shown in the painting of 1848 "Battle of Navarre".
This is a battle between the combined Anglo-French-Russian and Turkish-Egyptian fleets. Russian ships in the very center of the battle take on the main blow of the enemy. Aivazovsky shows how the battleship "Azov", led by Captain Lazarev, destroys five enemy ships. The flagship "Azov" is badly damaged, but the crew of the ship board the ship of the Turks, gets on their deck and defeats them. Then the whole world admired the courage and firmness of spirit of the Russian sailors.
Another famous work of the marine painter "Rainbow" (1873), hung in the Tretyakov Gallery, it is written on the artist's favorite theme.
A terrible storm, an attempt to escape from a shipwreck. The viewer is immediately thrown into the epicenter of the hurricane. The downpour does not stop, a strong piercing wind blows. It seems that this small boat will die from the elements. The dark rocks ahead are terrifying, but the sudden appearance of a rainbow gives a drop of hope for salvation. Somewhere the sky has already begun to clear up, it remains to wait a little longer, and the sea will cease its excitement.
The artist worked until the last days of his life. In 1881 he painted a picture "Black Sea".
Another job title "A storm begins to play out on the Black Sea." Someone thinks this picture is the simplest one presented in the Tretyakov Gallery. A large canvas depicts a dark sea and a cloudy sky above it. Despite the restraint of the colorful scale, it affects many emotionally. For some reason, the audience cannot take their eyes off him.
AND . Kramskoy once said about the painting “The Black Sea” that “there is nothing on it except the sky and water, but water is an endless ocean, not stormy, but swaying, harsh, endless, and the sky, if possible, is even more endless. This is one of the grandest pictures I have ever known. "
Painting "Wave", painted by Aivazovsky at the end of his life is still considered one of the most powerful works of the artist. A stormy sea on a windy winter day is a rather simple plot, but how much strength and power is in this picture.
A gray leaden sky, storm clouds and a deep sea covered with foam - all speak of a single sad image of the picture. And even ships with their sails retracted, anchored, do not expect a miracle. Nothing will save the sailors, there is no more hope -.
The amazingly beautiful painting “Sea. Koktebel Bay "was created in the 18th century by Ivan Aivazovsky. She personifies the uniqueness of the recalcitrant, raging sea.
In the foreground of the painting, the artist depicted a beach and a small boat aimed at the depths of the sea. It feels like a little bit more and the boat will break free from the embrace of the coast and rush into the distance along the waves towards dangers. Most of the picture is occupied by a foaming and endless sea, just like the sky. Waves and heavenly expanses merge over the horizon - turning into a kind of large and super-powerful creature that obscures the sunlight and hangs over the ship, which has already plunged into the raging waves.
Aivazovsky also painted rocks, they give the picture even greater severity and formidability. They seem to be silently watching everything that happens, but do not want to interfere. From their harsh silence it becomes somehow hopeless and creepy, but then you notice a slight reflection of the sun, timidly peeping out from behind the clouds, it is like a glimmer of hope that soon everything will end, the sea will again become friendly and kind.
This picture shows a manifestation of love for native land, it is felt in every stroke of the author's brush. Seeing the "Koktebel Bay" live, you will feel the full power of the picture and as if you will feel the fresh sea air, the atmosphere of the restless sea element, which, despite this, is beautiful.
In the landscapes of Ivan Aivazovsky, and in his life he painted more than six thousand of them, the sea appears before us as the basis of nature in all its mighty beauty and splendor. The painter created many of his paintings in his studio, whose windows overlooked the side opposite to the sea. Aivazovsky painted landscapes not from nature, but from his memory.
Sometimes the painter, as he is sometimes called the singer of the sea, invited customers to his workshop and painted a picture in an hour or two right in front of their eyes. Such a show attracted more and more clients, which is why the popularity of the virtuoso painter grew unheard of, and orders simply poured in.
The academically competent, solid quality of painting evokes general admiration among fans of landscapes, especially in Western countries, where since the end of the 80s. XX century on the creations of the great marine painter Aivazovsky just started a boom.
In our time, paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky are obligatory exhibits at all auctions, they fit perfectly into the pan-European series, which is dedicated to the oriental theme, as well as academism and painting of the 19th century.