One of my favorite artists is Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky. Worldwide famous artist romantic marine painter.

Aivazovsky left a mark on history not only as a talented painter, but also as a philanthropist. Having accumulated considerable capital thanks to the popularity of his works, Aivazovsky generously engaged in charity work. With his money, the building of the archaeological museum in Feodosia was built, and a large number of works were carried out to improve the city. But art still remains paramount... and this was the most important thing in the life of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky!

Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich was born on July 17, 1817 in Feodosia. Real name: Hovhannes Ayvazyan. His father was a merchant who, as a result of the outbreak of the plague in 1812, was ruined, but knowing several languages, Konstantin Ayvozyan began translating lawsuits and complaints. Her mother was a needlewoman; in difficult times for the family, her embroidery saved them more than once. Ivan was the youngest fifth child. And from the age of 10 he had to work in a city coffee shop. His father and mother moved from Poland to Feodosia, so they wrote their surname in the Polish way. And Hovhannes himself subsequently wrote his surname the same way.

Their house stood on the outskirts of Feodosia, on a hill from where the sea was visible. This probably determined the fate of the future artist. The sea, so different - sometimes calm, sometimes rebellious, beckoned. Young Hovhannes often watched him. And one day he took a piece of samovar coal and drew a ship on the white wall of the house. His father did not scold him, but gave him a piece of paper and a pencil. And young Hovhannes began to draw with enthusiasm, using everything he could draw on, even on the pages of books, for which he, of course, received money from his parents. At the age of 12, he willingly depicted the battles for the liberation of Greece, as well as Turkish fortresses.

The city governor of Feodosia, A.I. Kaznacheev, heard about the talented boy from the architect Koch, who more than once saved Hovhannes from punishment for “damaging” the walls of houses and stone fences with coal and gave him several valuable lessons. One day, Alexander Ivanovich came to an Armenian settlement to see if they were telling the truth about the miracle child. As if he had anticipated the arrival of the mayor, Hovhannes depicted a soldier standing on guard in full ammunition, and even wearing life size, fortunately, the size of the wall of the house allowed this. Treasurers did not remain indifferent to the fate of the young talent: first of all, he gave Hovhannes a pack of real drawing paper and a box with the first things in his life watercolor paints, and then offered to take drawing lessons with his children from the architect Koch. Thus, the wall drawing changed the entire course of the Armenian boy’s life.

By another lucky chance, when in 1830 the boy graduated from the Armenian parish school, Kaznacheev was appointed governor of Taurida and, leaving for Simferopol, took him with him and achieved admission to the Simferopol gymnasium. It is clear that without such a reliable patron, Gaivazovsky would have had little hope of receiving further education.

The three years that Ivan lived in the Kaznacheev family were not in vain for him. He read a lot, but devoted even more time to drawing - he wrote from life and copied from engravings. Soon success young artist became so noticeable that representatives of the highest city circles paid attention to him. So Gaivazovsky received the right to use the magnificent library in the house of N. F. Naryshkina and make copies of the illustrations he liked. Natalya Feodorovna was so confident in the boy’s exceptional talent that, having great connections, she began to petition not only for Ivan’s admission to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, but also argued for the need to send him to Rome to study painting. Through her friend the architect Salvatore Tonchi, she worked to appoint Gaivazovsky to the Imperial Academy of Arts at public expense.

With the assistance of influential metropolitan officials, Naryshkina managed to achieve the desired result, despite the fact that the boy had not yet reached the age of adoption. They accepted him into the academy at government expense, and also brought him from Crimea to St. Petersburg at government expense.

Even after becoming a world-famous artist, Ivan Konstantinovich will remember everyone with gratitude good people who helped in his development as a person, and he himself will follow their example, doing good deeds.

His penchant for depicting the sea manifested itself very early. He copied the seascapes of Dutch marine painters.

At the beginning of 1835, at the invitation of Nicholas I, the French marine painter Philippe Tanner came to St. Petersburg. The student Aivazovsky was assigned to help him. He quickly mastered the technique of execution, but not wanting to copy, striving for his own creativity, he painted the painting “Study of Air over the Sea” for the academic exhibition.

The painting aroused universal approval and admiration for the skill of the young artist. He received a silver medal for it from the Academy of Arts, but, offended by the behavior of his assistant, Tanner complained to the emperor, and he ordered all Aivazovsky’s paintings to be removed from the exhibition (and there were 6 of them). Aivazovsky was threatened with expulsion, but the academy professors stood up for him and the conflict was soon resolved. Then the rejected Tanner left Russia.

In March 1837 to the highest command Gaivazovsky was included in the class of battle painting of Sauerweid. He was given a studio to study naval military painting at the academy. And in April, the artist was officially seconded as an artist to the ships of the Baltic Fleet and set off on his first voyage in the Gulf of Finland and Baltic Sea. This trip greatly enriched Aivazovsky’s knowledge of changeable sea ​​elements. Gaivazovsky made rapid progress in mastering the secrets of mastery. In the battle painting class of Professor A.I. Sauerweid, canvases were changed on Ivan’s easel almost daily. He worked stunningly quickly and amazed everyone not only with “his fertility.” As F. F. Lvov wrote: “Even then there were no limits to Gaivazovsky’s imagination.”

The sea became the only and main theme of his work.

In 1837, Aivazovsky received a gold medal upon graduation from the academy, giving him the right to go abroad for 6 years. First, Aivazovsky went to Feodosia, where he had not been for 5 years, and stayed there for 2 years, without ceasing to paint the sea.

The first works completed from 1835 to 1840.

View of the seaside in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. 1835

Great raid in Kronstadt. 1836

Seashore at night near the lighthouse. 1837

View of the Grand Cascade and the Grand Peterhof Palace. 1837

Windmill on the seashore. 1837

Frigate under sail. 1838

Raevsky's landing at Subashi. 1839

Old Feodosia. 1839

Kronstadt raid. 1840

Coast. 1840

Odessa. 1840

In the summer of 1840, Aivazovsky set off for Italy. Venice captivated me with its beauty and charm. His brother was a monk, so Aivazovsky lived in a monastery for some time. He dedicated one of his paintings to the monastery.

Azure Grotto. Naples. 1841

Aivazovsky visited Florence, then traveled around the entire Neapolitan coast. During his several months in Italy in 1940, he painted 13 large paintings. Next year 7 and the year after 12. These do not include small-sized works. Aivazovsky constantly made sketches wherever he was. This is where Aivazovsky’s final method of work took shape.

Paintings painted in Italy between 1840 and 1845

Bay of Naples on a moonlit night. Vesuvius. 1840

View of the Venetian Lagoon. 1841

Coast in Almafi. 1841

Bay of Naples on a moonlit night. 1842

Neapolitan lighthouse. 1842

Sea shore. Calm. 1843

Gondolier on the sea at night. 1843

Mekhitarists on the island of St. Lazarus. Venice. 1843

Port of La Valletta. 1844

Sea view with a chapel on the shore. 1845

His works always sold out very quickly. Roman newspapers, professional artists, connoisseurs and connoisseurs of art wrote enthusiastically about him.

Each time he started work, he looked for new shades of illumination of sea water and clouds, tried different topics landscapes, depicted the sea at different times of the day - sometimes in the diffused light of day, sometimes under the light of the moon.

Pope Gregory XVI purchased his painting “Chaos. The Creation of the World" for the Vatican and awarded the artist a gold medal.

Chaos. World creation. 1841

He was a success at every exhibition. In reviews in Berlin newspapers they wrote that he was possibly deaf and dumb - only with a lack of hearing and speech could his eyesight develop so sharply.

He received a gold medal for his paintings exhibited at the Louvre. The dreams of Aivazovsky the artist came true - after all, if usually academic retirees brought fresh impressions, new paintings and honed skills from foreign business trips, Ivan Konstantinovich brought world recognition and glory to Russia.

Soon he returned to St. Petersburg. He was awarded the title of academician. Aivazovsky became a painter of the main naval headquarters, with the right to wear the uniform of the naval ministry. He began to receive his first official orders - to paint views of coastal cities and Russian ports. His paintings were not only highly artistic, but also topographically accurate.

Subsequently, Aivazovsky was repeatedly awarded various Russian and foreign orders.

Returning from a voyage, Aivazovsky stayed in Sevastopol for a short time, and upon returning to Feodosia, he immediately began building his own house in the style of Italian Renaissance villas, according to his design, decorating it with casts from ancient sculptures and a large workshop adjacent to the living rooms. In 1845, he purchased a plot of land on the outskirts of the city, near the seashore, and already during the construction he anticipated how comfortable it would be for him to live and work here. Ivan Konstantinovich achieved fame and such material well-being that he could afford to live in any corner of the world, but he chose the city of his childhood. He was not attracted by the opportunity to become a salon or court artist, fulfilling the will of eminent customers all his life. Nobody wanted to believe that the young, cheerful Aivazovsky, surrounded by great fame, loving the theater, the society of enlightened people, would voluntarily leave the capital and settle in some provincial town on the southern outskirts of Russia.

Aivazovsky spent the winter of 1847/48 in St. Petersburg and Moscow, where he also organized personal exhibitions, which only strengthened his fame. But even in the capital, the artist did not deviate from his usual way of life: the first half of the day he worked in the studio, and in the evenings he visited the theater or visited friends. A wealthy academician of painting, a 30-year-old professor at the academy, he was now considered an eligible bachelor. Ivan Konstantinovich even began to be burdened by these “lookouts” of girls of marriageable age from decent houses. One day Odoevsky invited him to his house, promising that they would definitely meet Glinka there. The mistress of the house immediately ordered the younger children to be called into the living room so that they too could listen to the composer play. The children were brought by an English governess. The girl was very pretty, and her strict dark dress and simply combed hair made her stand out from the crowd of dressed up and cutesy ladies and girls. Since that evening, the artist frequented this house, completely abandoning his work. Exchange in short phrases on issues of art showed that the girl is quite educated, can express her opinion, and most importantly, is modest and charming in communication, and seemed to be devoid of commercialism. Ivan Konstantinovich fell in love recklessly, two weeks later he confessed his feelings and invited Yulia to become his wife. A few days later, news spread around St. Petersburg that famous artist marries an ordinary governess. High society did not approve of Aivazovsky's choice, and the doors of some houses even closed in front of him - many suddenly remembered his plebeian origin.

In the Aivazovsky family, a year after the wedding, the first daughter Elena was born, and after her three more - Maria (1851), Alexandra (1852) and Joanna (Zhanna, 1858) And in the 12th year life together, citing the need to educate her daughters, Yulia Yakovlevna went to Odessa with her children, but never returned from there. She remembered her husband only when she needed money. Their further relationship was very difficult: Yulia Yakovlevna in every possible way prevented the father from communicating with his daughters. Only from time to time she allowed them to visit him. In 1877, with the permission of the Etchmiadzin Synod, the marriage was dissolved. Yulia Yakovlevna lived in Odessa with four daughters, to whom until the end of her life the artist showed love, attention and care, which later passed on to her grandchildren, three of whom also became marine painters.

He saw his second wife Anna Nikitichna Sarkisova - Burnazyan at the funeral of her husband. They got married a year later.

Portrait of the artist's wife Anna Burnazyan. 1882.

The 1840s–1860s were a happy creative time for Aivazovsky.

The best romantic works of Aivazovsky from this period are the paintings:

Storm on the Black Sea. 1849

St. George's Monastery. 1846

Evening in Crimea. Yalta. 1848

Venice. 1842

Entrance to Sevastopol Bay. 1852

Coast. Parting. 1868

Vessels in the roadstead. 1851

Sevastopol raid. 1852

Moonlit night in Crimea. 1859

Storm on the North Sea. 1865

It seemed that 1850 was a happy year for Ivan Konstantinovich: fame, prosperity, a beautiful house and workshop, a young wife (no quarrels with her yet), the birth of his first daughter, the love of his fellow countrymen... But the artist’s emotions are not even under his control. One day, Aivazovsky was overcome with a feeling of deep loss. Those who believed in the promising academician have already passed away - Olenin, Sauerweid, Krylov, in Italy the cheerful friend of his youth Vasily Sternberg died, V. Belinsky died... From Rome it was reported that his Italian friend Vecchi became an adjutant to Giuseppe Garibaldi. The world has changed, it suddenly ceased to be serene, which means that his art as an artist should, as Belinsky said, excite and shock.

These thoughts were so unusual for Aivazovsky that for several days he could not even take up his brushes. I sat in the workshop, remembered and reflected, and finally came to the conclusion that no matter what obstacles fate puts in front of a person, he strives for victory from last bit of strength, overcomes all the pains and fears in order to once again see how the first ray of the sun breaks through the next morning. The artist decided that this could best be conveyed in the fight against the elements. This is how “The Ninth Wave”, pierced by the spirit of epic heroism, was born - the pinnacle of the first, romantic period in his work. And although the painting was entirely written from observation and imagination, it is one of the most impressive works of Russian landscape painting. Looking at the picture, the viewer can immediately imagine what a terrible night passed, what disaster the ship suffered, how the sailors died. But even pretending tragic conflict between people and nature, Aivazovsky remains true to himself: main role The sea plays in the picture, and all the artist’s attention is focused on its indomitable power. The painter found the exact means to depict the grandeur, power and beauty of the sea element. With a mighty effort of imagination and creative memory, Aivazovsky created a truthful and impressive image of angry nature. They conveyed the motives of the movement with amazing accuracy. Everything in the picture is engulfed in a swift impulse - rushing clouds, foaming waters, and figures of people frantically clinging to the mast. This unity of movement gives the work a special completeness and integrity.

The ninth wave. 1850

Despite the dramatic nature of the plot, the picture does not leave a gloomy impression; on the contrary, it is full of light and air and is completely penetrated by the sun, which gives it an optimistic character. IN to a large extent This is facilitated by the color scheme of the canvas, designed in the brightest colors of the palette. This was a bold and innovative decision.

Immediately after the show, the painting was purchased by Nicholas I, and currently it is in the State Russian Museum of St. Petersburg.

Storms and shipwrecks, the struggle and victory of man over the elements become Aivazovsky’s favorite themes. He turned to them throughout his entire life. creative life. Following The Ninth Wave, a whole series of “storms” are born on his canvases:

Stormy sea at night. 1853

Sheep driven into the sea by a storm. 1855

Storm off the rocky coast. 1875

Storm at Cape Aya. 1875

Storm near Evpatoria. 1861

Until the end of his days, the artist was absorbed in the idea of ​​creating an image of the agitated sea elements. From under his brush came another whole series of paintings depicting a stormy sea:

Wave. 1889

Storm at sea at night. 1895

They are close not only in design and composition, but also in color scheme. All of them have rough surf on a windy winter day written all over them. The cycle of these paintings had no less merits than Aivazovsky’s “Blue Marines”.

Naturally, the painter could not ignore the figure of the founder of the Russian fleet - Peter I, whose activities provided Russia with access to the shores of the Baltic. Aivazovsky dedicated a number of his paintings to the victories of the Russian fleet in the Northern War. In 1846, he painted the battle paintings “The Naval Battle of Reval on May 9, 1790” and “The Naval Battle of Vyborg on June 29, 1790.”

Peter I at the Red Hill, lighting a fire. 1846

Brilliant painting skill, virtuoso technique and meticulous reflection of details were very clearly reflected in one of Aivazovsky’s famous battle paintings, “The Battle of Chesme” (1848), dedicated to the outstanding naval battle of 1770 during the Russian-Turkish War of 1768–1774.

A significant place in Aivazovsky’s work is occupied by the heroic victories of the Russian fleet, which took place directly during the artist’s lifetime. He had the opportunity to talk with participants in naval battles and even visit the battlefields. The artist captured episodes of naval battles: the battle of Gangut, Chesme, Navarino, Sinop battles, Sevastopol defense.

In October 1853, Turkey declared war on Russia, and in March 1854, the English and French fleets took its side. In the same month, in Sevastopol, Aivazovsky opened an exhibition of his battle paintings at the Sevastopol Naval Assembly. It was impossible to get through to his paintings. Several paintings took center stage. “The Battle of Navarino” depicted the bloody naval battle of October 20, 1827, during which the crew of the Azov, under the command of Admiral Lazarev, covered themselves with unfading glory, sank three Turkish ships, grounded a battleship and destroyed a Turkish admiral's frigate. And this despite the fact that the ship received 153 holes. Among his heroes were Lieutenant Nakhimov and Midshipman Kornilov, who were now considered the brain and heart of the fleet. In the center of the composition of the picture is an episode of the battle between the Azov and the main Turkish ship. By the very structure of the composition, the skillful demonstration of the offensive movement of the Russian ship, the artist left no doubt about the outcome of the battle.

Navarino battle. 1846

The second picture, “The brig Mercury, after a victory over two Turkish ships, meets with a Russian squadron,” glorified the events of 1829. Aivazovsky remembered this battle from his childhood. The legendary brig was completely destroyed, the sails were torn, a fire broke out, water began to penetrate into the holes, but the Russian sailors with successful shots inflicted such significant damage on both powerful Turkish ships that they were forced to stop pursuing. This canvas by Aivazovsky depicts a windless moonlit night, a light swell slightly ripples the sea, and light clouds float above it. The unconquered Mercury returns to its native Sevastopol after a heroic victory over the enemy.

“The brig Mercury, after defeating two Turkish ships, meets with the Russian squadron.” 1848

The painting “Brig Mercury Attacked by Two Turkish Ships” is also dedicated to this battle. The work is very laconic in composition and coloristic terms. The diagonal movement of ships allows you to immediately cover the entire battlefield with your eye. Aivazovsky found a magnificent combination of blue-blue tones of the sea with gray-pearl shades of the sky, on which the silver-white sails of warships clearly stand out, and splashes of red (Turkish flags with crescents) enliven the somewhat cold color of the work. Due to the fact that there is no sun in the sky, the shadows of the ships are not visible.

"Brig Mercury attacked by two Turkish ships"

The paired paintings “Battle of Sinop by Day” and “Battle of Sinop by Night,” presented at the exhibition, glorified the modern victory of the Black Sea Fleet in the battle of November 18, 1853, when the Russian squadron under the command of Admiral Nakhimov defeated Turkish squadron in the bay of the city of Sinop. These canvases were not just paintings for the people of Sevastopol - it was a life full of dangers and heroism. Nakhimov himself visited the exhibition. Praising Aivazovsky’s work, especially the night battle, he said: “The picture is extremely well done.” These works have become an integral addition to historical documents. As already mentioned, naval battles The artist painted sailing ships with knowledge not only of the design of the ships, but also of all the details of equipment and weapons.

Sinop battle. 1853

With pain in his heart, the painter looked at the tops of the masts of the sunken ships of the Black Sea Fleet visible in the sea, which with their hulls blocked the entrance to the Sevastopol Bay of the enemy fleet. He recognized the mast battleship"Silistria", on which he spent unforgettable days during the landing in Subashi. He captured this view in the painting “The Siege of Sevastopol” (1859)

Siege of Sevastopol. 1859

The events of the Crimean War excited the mind and heart of Aivazovsky until the last days of his life. The artist’s inner gaze increasingly saw the Malakhov Kurgan waiting for its pictorial embodiment. This painting was supposed to be a tribute to the memory of friend and great compatriot V. A. Kornilov. And only in 1892 the plot of “Malakhov Kurgan” (“Malakhov Kurgan is the place where Admiral Kornilov was mortally wounded”) finally took shape in Aivazovsky’s imagination.

Malakhov Kurgan. 1893

Aivazovsky dedicated many of his works to peaceful events from the history of the Russian fleet, but the painting “Ice Mountains in Antarctica”, outstanding in its significance, was painted for the 50th anniversary of the unprecedentedly difficult passage and discovery of Antarctica by an expedition under the command of the outstanding navigator F. F. Bellingshausen. This event took place on January 16, 1820, and two sailing sloops took part in it - “Vostok” and “Mirny”. Aivazovsky heard about this expedition from Admiral M.P. Lazarev, and with his inherent skill, he was able to create a work of imagination with the power of imagination, captivating in its persuasiveness. “Moving away from the area I depict only makes all the details in my imagination appear more clearly and vividly in my memory. I transfer the storm that I saw in Italy to some region of the Crimea or the Caucasus; With the ray of the moon reflected on the Bosphorus, I illuminate the strongholds of Sevastopol. I am more aware of grief and joy when they move into the realm of the past. This is the nature of my nature,” the artist admitted.

Ice mountains in Antarctica. 1870

Until the last days of his life, Aivazovsky served the fleet, glorifying its glorious victories and the heroism of Russian sailors:

Capture of the Turkish military transport Messina by the steamer "Russia" on the Black Sea on December 13, 1877

In the work of Aivazovsky in the 70s of the 19th century, a number of paintings appear depicting the open sea at midday, painted in blue colors. The combination of cold blue, green, and gray tones gives the feeling of a fresh breeze raising a cheerful swell on the sea, and the silver wing of a sailboat foaming a transparent emerald wave involuntarily awakens in the memory poetic image, created by Lermontov: “The lonely sail is white...” The whole charm of such paintings lies in the crystal clarity, the sparkling radiance that they emit. It’s not for nothing that this cycle of paintings is usually called “Aivazov’s blues.” The artist’s night marinas are also unique.

Moonlight night in Capri. 1841

Bay of Naples in the moonlight. 1842

Moonlight night. 1849

Moonlit night in Crimea. 1859

Moonlit night in Constantinople. 1862

Moonrise in Feodosia. 1892

This theme runs through all of Aivazovsky’s work. He was able to depict the effects of moonlight, the moon itself, surrounded by light transparent clouds or peeping through clouds torn by the wind, with illusory precision. Aivazovsky’s images of night nature are some of the most poetic images of nature in painting. They often evoke poetic and musical associations.

Aivazovsky did not repeat a profitable painting cliche - he simply discovered the only possible way to paint the living sea, and this method never let him down. And there was plenty of experimentation in his work. Take, for example, the long canvas, covering the entire end wall of the gallery, “From Calm to Hurricane” (1895; 212x708 cm). It shows various states of the sea elements - calm, an approaching storm and a hurricane, which absolutely naturally flow into each other, thereby enhancing the effect of a wonderful phantasmagoria.

From calm to hurricane. 1895

During his life, Aivazovsky had more than 120 personal exhibitions. In 1870, he was attracted to biblical themes, he looked for soft halftones, and entire series of paintings appeared.

On April 19, 1900, Aivazovsky was painting “The Explosion of a Turkish Ship” in his studio, but it remained unfinished; the painter died in his sleep.

Explosion of a Turkish ship. 1900

Over 60 years of creative activity, Aivazovsky created about 6,000 paintings, which were scattered all over the world. It is still not possible to compile a single list of works by the great marine painter, who not only sold paintings to gallery owners and collectors, but also simply gave them as gifts. The works he created were brought to the marine painter great fame during his lifetime, have gained unusually wide popularity in our days. Most of Aivazovsky's paintings are kept in the best museums and galleries in the world. The largest collection, naturally, is presented in the Feodosia Art Gallery. I.K. Aivazovsky - 417 storage units. There are many famous paintings in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Hermitage, museums in Kyiv (sugar manufacturers Tereshchenko and Kharitonenko donated their unique collections of works of art to the city), Kharkov, Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities.

And, of course, I cannot ignore other works by Ivan Aivazovsky. On them you can see how the master’s brush became bolder, and the paintings became deeper and more penetrating.

Paintings from the period 1840-1860.

Shipwreck. 1843

Bay. Golden Horn. Türkiye. 1845

View of Constantinople by moonlight. 1846

View of Odessa on a moonlit night. 1846

Moonlit night by the seaside. 1847

St. Petersburg Stock Exchange. 1847

Coast of Dalmatia. 1848

Morning at sea. 1849

Smolny Monastery. 1849

Storm at sea. 1850

Harbor. 1850

Storm signal. 1851

Twenty-six is ​​a cannon ship. 1852

Embankment of the eastern city. 1852

Fishermen on the seashore. 1852

Sevastopol raid. 1852

Ayu-Dag on a foggy day. 1853

Stormy sea at night. 1853

Moonlight night. Bath in Feodosia. 1853

Malaga. Seascape. 1854

Capture of Sevastopol. 1855

Sunrise in Feodosia. 1855

Moonlit night on the Black Sea. 1855

Sunset off the Crimean coast. 1856

The sea before the storm. 1856

The death of the ship Lefort. Allegorical image. 1858

A sailboat off the coast of Crimea on a moonlit night. 1858

Russian and French frigates. 1858

Towers on a cliff near the Bosphorus. 1859

Paintings from the period 1860-1880.

Sea at night. 1861

Night in Venice. 1861

Daryal Gorge. 1862

Storm on the Arctic Ocean. 1864

View of the sea from the mountains. Crimea. 1864

Global flood. 1864

Shipwreck. 1864

World creation. 1864

Off the coast of Yalta. 1864

Shipwreck. 1865

Sunset on the sea. 1866

Ships on a stormy sea. 1866

Explosion of the Arcadio Monastery on Crete in 1866. 1867

Marine view. 1867

Stormy sea. 1868

Aul Gunib in Dagestan. View from the east. 1869

Parting. 1869

Skirmish between the Shirvans and the Murids on Gunib. 1869

Venice. 1870

Shipwreck on the rocks. 1870

Noah's descent from Mount Ararat. 1870

Caravan in an oasis. Egypt. 1871

Moonlight night. Wrecked ship. 1871

Into the storm. 1872

Golden Horn. 1872

Golden Horn. Bosphorus. 1872

Ice on the Dnieper. 1872

Fleeing from the storm. 1872

Storm at sea. 1873

Storm on the Black Sea. 1873

Bay of Naples on a foggy morning. 1874

Storm at Cape Aya. 1875

Shipwreck in the North Sea. 1875

Cloud above quiet sea. 1877

Explosion of a three-masted steamer in Sulina 09/27/1877 (1878)

Sheep bathing. 1878

Night on the Black Sea. 1879

Paintings from the period 1880-1900.

A.S. Pushkin in Crimea near the Gurzuf rocks. 1880

The capture of a Turkish boat by Russian sailors and the release of captive Caucasian women. 1880

Scenes from Cairo life. 1881

Black Sea. A storm begins to break out. 1881

Athens Acropolis. 1883

Shipwreck. 1884

The poet's wedding in Ancient Greece. 1886

Review of the Black Sea Fleet in 1849 (1886)

Volga near the Zhiguli mountains. 1887

Pushkin on the shores of the Black Sea. 1887

Ships in the silence of the night. 1888

The morning after the storm. 1888

Walking on the waters. 1888

Wave. 1889

The death of Pompeii. 1889

Clouds over the sea. Calm. 1889

Smugglers. 1890

Fleet in sight of Sevastopol. 1890

Walking on the waters. 1890

Black Sea Fleet in Feodosia. 1890

The passage of the Jews through the Red Sea. 1891

The ship "Empress Maria" during a storm. 1892

Niagara Falls. 1892

Storm at sea. 1893

The end of the storm at sea. 1893

Surf. 1893

Poseidon's journey across the sea. 1894

Ocean. 1896

Napoleon on the island of St. Helena. 1897

Pushkin on the Black Sea coast. 1897

Among the waves. 1898

Into the storm. 1899

Moonlight night. 1899

Photo by I.K. Aivazovsky

The sea element...so rebellious, majestic and powerful. Many paintings reflect the whole essence of nature - how beyond our control it is. There is also a lot of air on the canvases, which very well conveys the scale of man and nature. Man is small and insignificant compared to the natural elements and all he can do is fight for his life...

Ivan Aivazovsky (2000)

Geniuses and villains. Ivan Aivazovsky (2006)

The sea is a fiery poet. Ivan Aivazovsky (2007)

Publications in the Museums section

A Dozen Seas by Ivan Aivazovsky: Geography from Paintings

We remember famous paintings Aivazovsky and study the marine geography of the 19th century using them.

Adriatic Sea

Venetian Lagoon. View of the island of San Giorgio. 1844. Tretyakov Gallery

The sea, which is part of the Mediterranean, received its name in antiquity from the ancient port of Adria (in the region of Venice). Now the water has retreated 22 kilometers from the city, and the city has become land.

In the 19th century, reference books wrote about this sea: “... the most dangerous wind is the northeast - boreas, and also the southeast - sirocco; southwestern - siffanto, less common and less long, but often very strong; it is especially dangerous near the mouths of the Po, when it suddenly changes into a south-easterly one and becomes a strong storm (furiano). Between the islands of the eastern shore these winds are doubly dangerous, for in the narrow channels and in each bay they blow differently; The most terrible are boreas in winter and hot “south” (Slovenian) in summer. Already the ancients often spoke of the dangers of Adria, and from the numerous prayers for salvation and vows of sailors 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 the island of St. Helena. 1897. Feodosia Art Gallery named after. I.K. Aivazovsky

The ocean received its name in antiquity, in honor of the mythical titan Atlas, who held the firmament of heaven on his shoulders somewhere near Gibraltar.

“...The time used in Lately by sailing ships in various specified directions, 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 depending on the weather; More detailed guidance can be found in the Passage tables published by the London Board of Trade. Steamboats are less dependent on the weather, especially mail ships, equipped with all the improvements of modern times and now crossing the Atlantic Ocean in all directions...” (1890).

Baltic Sea

Great raid in Kronstadt. 1836. Timing

The sea received 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 Revel to Helsingfors is not possible every winter, but in severe frosts and deep straits between the Åland Islands and both shores of the mainland are covered with ice, and in 1809 the Russian army with all the military burdens crossed here across the ice to Sweden and in two other places across the Gulf of Bothnia. In 1658, the Swedish king Charles X crossed the ice from Jutland to Zealand..." (1890).

Ionian Sea

The naval battle of Navarino on October 2, 1827. 1846. Naval Academy named after. 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 Hera. In addition, Hera sent a huge gadfly to Io, and the poor thing swam across the sea to escape.

“...There are luxurious olive groves in Kefalonia, but in general the Ionian Islands are treeless. Main products: wine, butter, southern fruits. The main occupations of the residents: agriculture and sheep breeding, fishing, trade, shipbuilding; 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 Art Gallery named after. 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 oldest geographical names; it is found already in the Mycenaean linear letter “B” of the 2nd millennium BC. e. Its meaning is unclear; it may have meant “silver” in one of the ancient Anatolian languages.

“...Christians and Mohammedans are in terrible mutual enmity here. Fisheries are in decline; the harbors, which were in a flourishing state under Venetian rule, almost all became shallow; most cities are in ruins..." (1895).

Sea of ​​Marmara

Golden Horn Bay. Türkiye. After 1845. Chuvash State Art Museum

The sea, located between the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean and separates the European part of Istanbul from the Asian. 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, both its topography and its physicochemical and biological properties have been studied mainly by Russian hydrographers and scientists. The first detailed inventory 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 Atlantic Ocean, washes the shores of Europe from France to Scandinavia. In the 19th century in Russia it was called German, but later the name was changed.

“...With the exception of the above-mentioned very narrow space of great depths off the coast of Norway, the German Sea is the shallowest of all coastal seas and even of all seas, with the exception of the Azov Sea. The German Sea, together with the English Channel, are the seas most visited by ships, since the route from the ocean to the first harbor on the globe, London, passes through it...” (1897).

Arctic Ocean

Storm on the Arctic Ocean. 1864. Feodosia Art Gallery named after. 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 expedition of the American Peary came closest to the North Pole, setting off in 1905 from New York on a specially built steamship Roosevelt and returning in October 1906” (1907).

Mediterranean Sea

Port of La Valletta on the island of Malta. 1844. Timing

This sea became “Mediterranean” in the 3rd century AD. e. thanks to Roman geographers. Included in this big sea includes many small ones - in addition to those mentioned here, these are Alboran, Balearic, Icarian, Carpathian, Cilician, Cypriot, Levantine, Libyan, Ligurian, Myrtoian and Thracian.

“...Navigation in the Mediterranean Sea at the present time, with strong development steam fleet, does not present any special difficulties, due to the comparative rarity of strong storms and due to the satisfactory protection of the shallows 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

Moonlight night in Capri. 1841. Tretyakov Gallery

The sea, which is part of the Mediterranean and located north of Sicily, was named after the character ancient myths, Lydian prince Tyrrhenus, who drowned in it.

“...All latifundia [large estates] of Sicily belong to large owners - aristocrats who live permanently either in continental Italy, or in France and Spain. The fragmentation of land ownership often goes to the extreme: a peasant owns one dugout on a piece of land several square arshins. In the seaside valley where private property consists of fruit plantations; often there are peasant owners who have only 4–5 chestnut trees” (1900).

Black Sea

Black Sea (A storm begins to break out on the Black Sea). 1881. Tretyakov Gallery

This name, probably associated with the color of the water during a storm, was given to the sea only in modern times. The ancient Greeks, who actively settled its shores, called it first Inhospitable, and then Hospitable.

“...Urgent passenger and cargo shipping traffic between the ports of the Black Sea is maintained by Russian ships (mainly of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade), Austrian Lloyd, French Messageries maritimes and Frayssinet et C-ie and the 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 steamships of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade visit all the ports of the Black Sea. The composition of the vessels of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade in 1901 was 74 steamships...” (1903).

Aegean Sea

Patmos Island. 1854. Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after. M.A. Vrubel

This part Mediterranean Sea, located between Greece and Turkey, is named after the Athenian king Aegeus, who threw himself from a cliff, thinking that his son Theseus had been killed by the Minotaur.

“...Navigation in the Aegean Sea, which lies in the path of ships coming from the Black and Marmara Seas, is generally very pleasant, thanks to the good, clear weather, but in autumn and early spring there are often storms brought by cyclones coming from the North Atlantic Ocean through Europe to Malaya Asia. The inhabitants of the islands are excellent sailors...” (1904).

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky is a world-famous Russian marine painter, battle painter, collector, and philanthropist. Most outstanding artist of Armenian origin in the 19th century. Brother of the Armenian historian and Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church Gabriel Aivazovsky.

Biography of Ivan Aivazovsky

Ivan was born on July 29, 1817 in Feodosia. The first years of Aivazovsky's biography were spent in poverty as a result of his father's ruin. But still, he managed to enter the gymnasium of Simferopol. His passion for painting brought him to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, where he studied with recognized masters. After graduating from the Academy, he traveled extensively throughout Europe. In 1847, in his biography, Ivan Aivazovsky became a professor at the Art Academy of St. Petersburg.

Aivazovsky was most successful in seascapes. And since 1844 he was even the artist of the naval headquarters. Also in the biography of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, his own art school was opened. Among his most famous paintings are “The Ninth Wave” and “The Black Sea”. However, Aivazovsky painted canvases not only on marine theme. Among his other series of paintings: Caucasian, Ukrainian landscapes, Armenian history, Crimean War. During his biography, Ivan Aivazovsky created about six thousand works.

Ninth wave Black Sea

In addition, in the biography of the artist Aivazovsky there was always time for socially useful events. So Ivan Konstantinovich actively helped the development hometown- Feodosia. He built a museum of antiquity there, founded an art gallery, and contributed to the construction of railway track in Dzhankoy.

Fellow artists about Aivazovsky

Ivan Kramskoy argued that Aivazovsky “is a star of the first magnitude, in any case, and not only here, but in the history of art in general.” The great English landscape painter William Turner dedicated a poem to him and called him a genius.

Aivazovsky's creativity

Aivazovsky was especially famous not only in Russia, but also in Turkey. His acquaintance with Ottoman Empire started in 1845. The Mediterranean geographical expedition led by F.P. Litke, which included Ivan Konstantinovich, went to the shores of Turkey and Asia Minor. Then Istanbul conquered the artist. After the end of the expedition, he wrote a large number of works, including views of the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

After the end of the war in 1856, on his way from France, where his works were exhibited at an international exhibition, Aivazovsky visited Istanbul for the second time. He was warmly received by the local Armenian diaspora, and also, under the patronage of the court architect Sarkis Balyan, was received by Sultan Abdul-Mecid I. By that time, the Sultan’s collection already had one painting by Aivazovsky. As a sign of admiration for his work, the Sultan awarded Ivan Konstantinovich the Order of Nishan Ali, IV degree.

Paintings by I.K. Aivazovsky, which were in Turkey, were repeatedly exhibited in various exhibitions. In 1880, an exhibition of the artist’s paintings was held in the building of the Russian embassy. At the end of it, Sultan Abdul-Hamid II presented I.K. Aivazovsky with a diamond medal.

In 1881, the owner of an art store, Ulman Grombach, held an exhibition of works by famous masters: Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Bruegl, Aivazovsky, Jerome. In 1882, an art exhibition by I.K. Aivazovsky and the Turkish artist Oskan Efendi took place here. The exhibitions were a huge success.

In 1888, another exhibition was held in Istanbul, organized by Levon Mazirov (nephew of I.K. Aivazovsky), at which 24 paintings by the artist were presented. Half of her proceeds went to charity. It was during these years that the first graduation of the Ottoman Academy of Arts occurred.

Aivazovsky’s style of writing can be traced in the works of Academy graduates: “The sinking of the ship “Ertugrul” in Tokyo Bay” by the artist Osman Nuri Pasha, the painting “Ship” by Ali Cemal, some marinas of Diyarbakır Tahsin.

In 1890, Ivan Konstantinovich made his last trip to Istanbul. He visited the Armenian Patriarchate and Yildiz Palace, where he left his paintings as a gift. On this visit, he was awarded the Order of Medjidiye, I degree, by Sultan Abdul-Hamid II.

Currently several famous paintings Aivazovsky are located in Turkey. The Military Museum in Istanbul houses the 1893 painting “Ship on the Black Sea”; the 1889 painting “Ship and Boat” is kept in one of the private collections. The residence of the President of Turkey houses the painting “A Ship Sinking in a Storm” (1899).

Ivan Aivazovsky began painting with early years. Fences, houses, albums and even sand acted as canvases. Once the drawings in the city were seen by the local governor, who was so amazed by the boy’s talent that he demanded that his subordinates find him to get to know him. Some time later, the future world-famous artist entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts with the help of this man.

The artist has never been a free creator in his life. Occupying the position of artist at the Main Naval Headquarters, he was constantly sent to battlefields to promptly depict military operations, because in those days only painters could capture them. At the same time, many paintings were painted from eyewitness accounts.

Ivan Konstantinovich was a very efficient person, as evidenced by more than 6,000 paintings.

Aivazovsky believed that the ability to write from memory distinguishes a real artist from a fake one:

“A painter who only copies nature becomes her slave. A person who is not gifted with a memory that preserves the impressions of living nature can be an excellent copyist, a living photographic apparatus, but never a true artist. The movements of living elements are elusive to the brush: painting lightning, a gust of wind, a splash of a wave is unthinkable from life.”

The windows of Aivazovsky’s workshop looked towards the courtyard, so the sea was not visible from them. He wrote his marinas from memory, extremely accurately conveying the various states of the sea.

Aivazovsky often visited his brother on the island of St. Lazarus. There he stayed exclusively in George Byron's room.

The most expensive among all Aivazovsky’s paintings was “View of Constantinople and the Bosphorus,” purchased in 2012 at the British Sotheby’s auction for 3 million 230 thousand pounds sterling, which translated into rubles is more than 153 million.

While in Italy, the painter created the painting “Chaos. The Creation of the World,” which created such a sensation that it was subsequently acquired by the Roman Pontiff, who awarded him a gold medal.

Bibliography and filmography

Bibliography

• Aivazovsky. Leningrad, Aurora Art Publishers, 1989.
• Ivan Constantinovich Aivazovski. Publishing house "Art", Moscow, 1965.
• Igor Dolgopolov, Masters and Masterpieces. Publishing house "Fine Art", Moscow, 1987.
• Popular Art Encyclopedia. Publishing house " Soviet Encyclopedia", Moscow, 1986.
• Aivazovsky. Documents and materials. - Yerevan, 1967.
• Barsamov N. S. I. K. Aivazovsky. 1817-1900. - M., 1962.
• Wagner L., Grigorovich N. Aivazovsky. - M., 1970.
• Sargsyan M. The life of a great marine painter. - Yerevan, 1990 (in Armenian).
• Churak G.I. Aivazovsky. - M., 2000.
• Khachatryan Sh. Aivazovsky, famous and unknown. - Samara, 2000.
• Un peintre russe sur la Riviera: Aivazovsky par Guillaume ARAL et Alex BENVENUTO, Lou Sourgentin N°192, Nice, juin 2010 (French)

Quote from Konetsky V.V.

...Since then I know that becoming Aivazovsky is not easy, that the artist of the Main Naval Staff had a secret in his uniform pocket with which he could make water wet on the canvas...

- Konetsky V.V. Salty ice. In the storm and calm // Collected works in 7 volumes (8 books). - St. Petersburg. : International Foundation “300 years of Kronstadt - revival of shrines”, 2001-2003. - T. 2. - 471 p.

Filmography

• 1983 “Aivazovsky and Armenia” (documentary film);
• In 2000, the Russian Museum and the Kvadrat Film studio created the film Ivan Aivazovsky.
• There is also a story about the artist in the project “Russian Empire”

When writing this article, materials from the following sites were used:en.wikipedia.org , .

If you find any inaccuracies or want to add to this article, send us information to the email address admin@site, we and our readers will be very grateful to you.

The biography of Aivazovsky, like any creator, is full interesting events, extraordinary people who met on life path an artist and faith in his talent.
Ivan Konstantinovich was born on July 17 (29), 1817 in Feodosia. Even as a child, Ivan was shown to have a talent for music and drawing. First lessons artistic skill were given to him by the famous Feodosian architect, J.H. Koch.

Having graduated from the school, Aivazovsky entered the Simferopol gymnasium. After its completion, under the patronage of the Feodosian mayor, A.I. Kaznacheev, the future artist was enrolled in the capital's Imperial Academy of Arts.

Further training

In August 1833, Aivazovsky arrived in St. Petersburg. He studied with such masters as M. Vorobiev, F. Tanner, A.I. Sauerweid. His paintings, painted during his studies, were awarded a silver medal. Aivazovsky was such a gifted student that he was released from the Academy for 2 years ahead of schedule. For independent creativity, Ivan Konstantinovich was sent first to his native Crimea, and then on a business trip abroad for 6 years.

Crimean-European period

In the spring of 1838, Aivazovsky left for Crimea. There he created seascapes and engaged in battle painting. He stayed in Crimea for 2 years. Then, together with V. Sternberg, his friend in the landscape class, the artist went to Rome. On the way, they visited Florence and Venice, where Aivazovsky met N. Gogol.

Anyone interested in the biography of Aivazovsky should know that he acquired his style of painting in the south of Italy. Many paintings of the European period were praised by such a venerable critic as W. Turner. In 1844 Aivazovsky arrived in Russia.

Talent recognition

1844 was a landmark year for the artist. He became the main painter of the Russian Main Naval Headquarters. After 3 years, he was awarded the title of professor at the Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg. For children interested in the life of the great artist, it is important to know that his main works are the paintings “The Ninth Wave” and “The Black Sea”.

But battles and seascapes his creativity was not limited. He created a series of Crimean and Ukrainian landscapes, wrote several historical paintings. In total, Aivazovsky painted more than 6,000 paintings during his life.

In 1864 the artist became a hereditary nobleman. He was also awarded the rank of active Privy Councilor. This rank corresponded to that of admiral.

Artist's family

Aivazovsky's personal life was not rich. He married twice. The first marriage took place in 1848. The artist’s wife was Yu.A. Graves. From this marriage four daughters were born. The union was not a happy one, and after 12 years the couple separated. The main reason The reason for the separation was that Grevs, unlike her husband, sought to live a social life in the capital.

Aivazovsky’s second wife was A.N. Sarkisova-Burzanyan. She was 40 years younger than Aivazovsky and outlived him by 44 years.

Death

Aivazovsky died suddenly at night from a cerebral hemorrhage on April 19 (May 2), 1900, in Feodosia. The painting “The Explosion of the Ship,” on which the marine painter had been working the day before, remained unfinished on the easel. He was buried in Armenian Church Surb Sarkis.

(Gayvazovsky) and was baptized under the name Hovhannes (the Armenian form of the name “John”).

Since childhood, Aivazovsky drew and played the violin. Thanks to the patronage of the senator, head of the Tauride province Alexander Kaznacheev, he was able to study at the Tauride Gymnasium in Simferopol, and then at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, where he studied in the classes of landscape painting by Professor Maxim Vorobyov and battle painting by Professor Alexander Sauerweid.

While studying at the Academy in 1835, Aivazovsky’s work “Study of Air over the Sea” was awarded a silver medal, and in 1837, the painting “Calm” was awarded a gold medal of the first degree.

In view of Aivazovsky’s successes, in 1837 the Academy council made an unusual decision - to release him early (two years ahead of schedule) from the academy and send him to Crimea for independent work, and after that - on a business trip abroad.

Thus, in 1837-1839, Aivazovsky performed full-scale work in the Crimea, and in 1840-1844 he improved his skills in Italy as a pensioner (he received a boarding house) from the Academy of Arts.

The canvases "Landing of the landing in the house of Subashi" and "View of Sevastopol" (1840) were bought by Emperor Nicholas I. In Rome, the artist painted the paintings "Storm" and Chaos." For the canvases "Boat of the Circassian Pirates", "Quiet on the Mediterranean Sea" and "The Island of Capri" in 1843 he was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Exhibition.

Since 1844, Aivazovsky was an academician and painter of the Main Naval Staff of Russia, since 1847 - a professor, and since 1887 - an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.

Since 1845, Aivazovsky lived and worked in Feodosia, where he built a house on the seashore according to his own design. During his life, he made a number of travels: he visited Italy, France and other European countries several times, worked in the Caucasus, sailed to the shores of Asia Minor, was in Egypt, and in 1898 traveled to America.

His paintings “Views of the Black Sea” and “Monastery of St. George” became famous. The painting “The Four Riches of Russia” brought Aivazovsky the French Order of the Legion of Honor in 1857.

At the beginning of 1873, an exhibition of Aivazovsky’s paintings took place in Florence, which received much attention. positive feedback. He became one of the most recognized representatives of the Russian school of painting throughout the world. In this capacity, Aivazovsky was awarded the honor, second after Orest Kiprensky, to present a self-portrait in the Florentine Uffizi Gallery.

During Russian-Turkish war In 1877, Aivazovsky painted a series of paintings.

In 1888 there was an exhibition of his new paintings dedicated to various episodes from the life of Columbus.

In total, since 1846, more than 120 personal exhibitions of Aivazovsky have taken place. The artist created about six thousand paintings, drawings and watercolors.

Among them, the most famous are “Battle of Navarrene”, “Battle of Chesme” (both 1848), depicting naval battles, a series of paintings “Defense of Sevastopol” (1859), “The Ninth Wave” (1850) and “Black Sea” (1881), recreating the greatness and power of the sea element. The last picture The artist's work was "The Explosion of the Ship", describing one of the episodes of the Greco-Turkish War, which remained unfinished.

He was a member of the Rome, Florence, Stuttgart and Amsterdam Academies of Arts.

© Sotheby's Canvas by Ivan Aivazovsky "View of Constantinople and the Bosphorus Bay"

Ivan Aivazovsky taught at the General Art School-Workshop he created in Feodosia. For the townspeople, Aivazovsky built a gymnasium and library, an archaeological museum and an art gallery in Feodosia. At his insistence, water supply was installed in the city. Thanks to his efforts, a commercial port was built, Railway. In 1881, Aivazovsky. In 1890, a fountain-monument was installed in Feodosia To the good genius"in commemoration of the artist's merits.

Ivan Aivazovsky died on the night of May 2 (April 19, old style) 1900 in Feodosia. He was buried on the territory of the Armenian Church of St. Sergius (Surb Sarkis).

His paintings are kept in many countries around the world, museums and private collections. The largest collection is the Feodosia Art Gallery named after I.K. Aivazovsky, which includes 416 works, of which 141 are paintings, the rest are graphics. In 1930, a monument to him was erected in Feodosia near the artist’s house. In 2003, a monument to Aivazovsky was erected on the Makarovskaya embankment of the sea fortress in the St. Petersburg suburb of Kronstadt.

The artist was married twice. His first wife was governess Julia Grevs, and the family had four daughters. The artist’s second wife was the widow of a Feodosian merchant, Anna Burnazyan (Sarkizova).

The artist's elder brother Gabriel Aivazovsky (1812-1880) was the archbishop of the Georgian-Imereti Armenian diocese, a member of the Etchmiadzin Synod, an orientalist, and a writer.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources