The real name of the talented Russian marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky Hovhannes Ayvazyan. But the family was forced to change their last name as a result of the tragic events related to the persecution and genocide of the Armenians by the Turks. The great artist was born in Feodosia, and today many of Aivazovsky’s famous paintings are exhibited in the art gallery of this southern city. And in our short review we will present some of the most famous paintings of the most talented artist.
The origin of the artist ...
Anyone who is interested in painting knows that the artist - marinist Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky comes from a noble Armenian family and the real name of the painter is Hovhannes Ayvazyan. Hovhannes was born on July 17, 1817 in the city of Feodosia, from where a great love for the sea was born by the future artist.
View of the seaside in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, 1835
The most famous paintings of Aivazovsky:
1
Ninth shaft
Let's start with a picture that has overgrown with many legends, and is undoubtedly a kind of calling card of the Russian artist. The Ninth Wave is without a doubt the most famous painting by Aivazovsky, which simply cannot but cause admiration.
It was in the Ninth Shaft that the artist’s skill and incredible talent were revealed. So accurately and really conveyed all the tragedy and destructiveness of the storm in the open sea. But because of the clouds, the sun rises, giving the sailors who are hooked on a fragment of the mast, hope for salvation.
Interestingly, Aivazovsky painted the monumental canvas in just 11 days. It is simply amazing what inspiration, the incredible power of creativity took possession of the artist at that moment.
The legendary work of Aivazovsky called "The Ninth Wave" fascinates and surprises overnight. The plot of the picture tells how a group of people who survived a shipwreck on a small wreck of a ship, trying to escape from a raging storm, but a huge wave mercilessly overtakes its victims and is about to hide in the sea abyss. The sea landscape is very realistic depicted and delights in the play of colors, shadows and light. The bright red sunset and azure waves seem to play hide and seek with us, sometimes hiding, then again emerging from the bottom of the sea.
2
Chesme battle (1848)
The artist turned to the glorious pages of Russian history. The victorious battle of the Russian fleet over the Turks in the Chesme Bay in the summer of 1770 on the canvas of Aivazovsky is amazingly realistic.
The masts of sinking Turkish ships are dying, between them the ships of the Russian squadron are victorious. Despite the bloodshed and brutality of the war, the picture amazes the viewer with incredible calm. Everything is already behind, time to sheathe guns and provide assistance to wounded comrades.
And again through the dark clouds and ashes the disk of the sun peeps out, as a symbol of Russian victory in a naval battle.
3
Rainbow (1873)
Ivan Konstantinovich, who grew up and lived for a long time by the sea, was passionately in love with him. But the turbulent events of the 19th century left their mark on the work of the master.
The sea on Aivazovsky’s canvases is most often stormy and turbulent, as in the picture “Rainbow”. A small vessel, unable to withstand the blows of the elements, treacherously banked and was about to sink. People, hoping for salvation, moved into tiny boats, and continue to confront a formidable storm.
But here, in a seemingly doomed situation, the painter gives hope for the best. A small seagull, anxiously beating between the sky and the surging waves, as if showing people the way to salvation. And the rainbow ... The biblical symbol of the end of the flood.
4
Black Sea (1881)
Somewhere in the distance, on the horizon, the silhouette of the ship is barely visible, and the sea is about to leap into the raging waves. The second name of this painting is “A storm is being played out on the Black Sea”.
Looking at the canvas, it simply astonishes how the painter managed so accurately, with barely noticeable strokes, to convey the game of waves against the backdrop of a raging wind.
Perhaps not one artist, neither before Aivazovsky, nor after, was able to write the sea so realistically, as well as convey its various states.
5
Pushkin on the Black Sea (1887)
As a child, little Hovhannes got acquainted with the work of the great master pen Alexander Pushkin, and carried this love through his whole life, and reflected in the work.
In the 80s, the painter even created a number of paintings dedicated to Pushkin. And in collaboration with Ilya Repina, they wrote an indisputable masterpiece of Pushkin’s farewell to the sea.
It is interesting, but in the picture "Pushkin on the Black Sea" it is difficult to understand who is more thoughtful, a poet or a slightly worried sea.
6
Moonlit Night on Capri (1841)
A true patriot of his Fatherland turned to foreign subjects, but the sea is the artist’s only love, and always acts as the main character of the plot. Ivan Konstantinovich traveled to many coastal cities of the world, and everyone tried to capture on canvas.
“Night on Capri” worthily took its place in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery, and more than one generation grew up on a bewitching, soft and romantic landscape.
The lunar path, against which the ship majestically swims, and small boats scurry about, as if reminding the sailors of the coast, of their home, where they wait and love.
7
Among the waves (1898)
We conclude our review with a picture that most fully reflects all the work of Ivan Aivazovsky, his soul and commitment to excellence. Thus, only he could paint the mood of the sea on canvas.
The storm is in full swing, but the climax is still far away. And again, the plot and technique are striking in their realism.
According to chronology, the picture was written later than other canvases, and became a logical, but rather symbolic, “testament” of the master. Also, among the raging waves, a bright, stormy, filled with exciting events, life of the great Russian artist, perhaps the most Russian among Armenians, took place.
8
Brig Mercury attacked by two Turkish ships (1892)
This is one of my favorite paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky. This work of the artist, who likes to portray the raging sea, shipwrecks and storms, on the contrary, is very bright, clean and at first glance calm. It depicts the brig Mercury attacked by two Turkish ships, but despite this, it seems that nothing portends trouble. The sea is a little worrying, transparent blue, the sky is strewn with white feather-beds, and only on one side are gray clouds visible, and the sails of all three ships are snow-white.
9
Meeting of fishermen on the shore of the Gulf of Naples (1842)
The work carries tenderness, tenderness and positive, because the master of the brush depicted the joy of meeting native people who have not seen each other for a long time. Finally, the king of the sea and the patron saint of sailors - Neptune let them go to land, where they are already met by families, in this case, the wife and children of one of the fishermen. Aivazovsky always worked with oil and his paintings turned out to be lively, bright, colorful and juicy. The artist painted this meeting not somewhere, but on one of the parts of the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the western coast of Italy, which gives it a kind of romanticism.
10
Storm at sea at night (1849)
And this canvas of the 19th century marine painter, I would call - the most gloomy, tragic and sad among the works of Ivan Aivazovsky, but dark colors, dull tones of the play of light, and even a bright moon do not save the situation. The raging, dark, almost black sea is eager to capture a small vessel in its nets, so steadfastly trying to stay on huge waves. A lonely ship is trying its fate by falling into a storm at night, and only the bright moon is its only companion and girlfriend.
11
Night. Blue Wave (1876)
The blue azure of the sea waves seemed to merge into one smooth line with the horizon, and the power of the water element is pumped by the inclined Turkish sailing ship, tired of drifting in the vast expanses of the sea, and it seems that it has already surrendered to the will of fate.
12
Review of the Black Sea Fleet in 1849 (1886)
This is an amazing work by Aivazovsky! It is not only about the plot, but also about skill. See how everything is depicted in detail, but the master painted it in just one day, paying special attention only to the sea, and not to the ships, as you might think, I can’t believe it, right? But this is a fact. They say that Aivazovsky always painted from memory and never from life, such then he had a phenomenal memory. The clarity of the lines and the naturalness of all details, the play of light, the combination of colors and the ability to properly color a picture amaze and delight. No wonder the whole world knows Aivazovsky as a marine painter, and his paintings are stored in museums and private collections around the world, and he has more than six thousand of them.
13
Calm (1885)
Among the many paintings, where the painter of the sea elements depicts a raging water element, there was a place and a picture that depicts a calm and calm turquoise calm. Looking at this work, I want to get to that very azure coast and enjoy the warm rays of the sun, basking and watching the drifting handsome sailing vessel, surrounded by mountains on the right and bordered by gentle, sky-clear clouds from above.
The artist has other kinds of landscapes ...
Battle plots
Landing N.N. Raevsky in Subashi, 1839
The landscape painter adored the history of his native land, therefore, in his collection there is a whole series of artworks called battle plots, where Aivazovsky depicts the course of historical sea battles and battles. Here are some examples ...
Navarino battle (1846)
The most famous battle of the Russian flotilla of 1770 during the Russo-Turkish war, which ended in the capture of the Turkish fortress of Navarin by the Russians. The canvas breathes danger and smells of gunpowder, the defeated ships are drowning in the depths of the sea, everything is in gray tones and fog, and the sea, surprisingly, calm and calm, its blue waters are ready to accept their first victims. The artist tells us about this event in his work - authentically, gracefully and proudly, and also brightly, colorfully and naturally.
Russian squadron at the Sevastopol raid (1846)
A very beautiful and important picture in the collection of Ivan Konstantinovich, because he loved and appreciated Russia, which was his homeland, therefore, each success and victory was taken at his own expense and was proud of his own. He wanted to show all the power and beauty of the Russian fleet, and he did just fine.
Oriental plots Aivazovsky
Yes, Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich wrote all his life in one genre, that is, he depicted the sea, the sea and once again the sea, but few people know that in his collection of paintings there are other landscapes, for example, oriental plots. The author was born in Crimea and came from an ancient Armenian family. The paintings that convey the life of the eastern people are also worthy of our attention.
By the way, on the site most-beauty.ru there is an interesting article about the most beautiful places in Crimea.
Scenes from Cairo Life (1881)
The marine painter Aivazovsky wrote this work specifically for the solemn event, namely, the opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt in 1869, where the author of sea landscapes was delegated as part of a special group of Russian representatives. His task was to capture a world-wide event that he brilliantly did. Egypt and all its miracles impressed the landscape painter that after this work he painted a couple of paintings on oriental themes, forgetting for a while about his beloved sea.
By boat on Kumkapi in Constantinople (1846)
The foundations and traditions of the East influenced Ivan Konstantinovich in such a way, as a result of which, in his imagination, and later on the canvas, a picture appeared entitled “On a Boat on Kumkapi in Constantinople”, on which we see oriental women and men in traditional dresses, swimming on the river Kumkapi somewhere on his own business. In the background you can see the house, behind which you can see the dome of the mosque. In these works, the artist uses new colors and shades for himself, except for the well-known blue, white and green, with which he also copes well.
The Great Pyramid at Giza (1871)
Paradoxically, the genius of seascapes was struck by the beauty and grandeur of the Egyptian pyramids, and could not resist, so as not to draw them. He depicted the seventh wonder of the world also in the sea, but not in water, but in a sea of sand, guarded by a fabulous sphinx - the eternal guard of the dead sand dunes. The picture is made in pastel colors, red-brown colors in abundance of light. Behind the pyramids a bright red sunset is visible, illuminating the entire desert.
And about the most famous ancient pyramids of the world, you can read our article!
Armenian stories
As a true Armenian, the artist touched upon Armenian history and religion in his work. He wrote culture and Christian themes in the form of biblical subjects.
The baptism of the Armenian people. Grigor the Enlightener (IV c.) (1892)
The most important event in the religion of the Armenian people is its transition to the Christian faith, which was carried out by Grigor the Enlightener in the fourth century of our era. It was this biblical mystery that Aivazovsky portrayed, in my opinion, came out very religiously, solemnly and mysteriously.
Descent of Noah from Mount Ararat (1889)
The most famous Old Testament biblical episode, when Noah, tired after a long stay in the ark, returns home to earth after the Flood, descending from Mount Ararat with his family and animals that were saved.
Winter landscapes of Aivazovsky
Living in the sunny and warm Crimea, Ivan Konstantinovich adored snowy and harsh winters, he loved to look at patterns on windows painted with frost in his childhood, he adored trees covered with hoarfrost, and huge snowdrifts. That's all he depicted on his canvases, the usual rural winter landscapes. Take a look yourself ...
Winter landscape (1876)
The snow trail is either in the forest or in the park, along which people walk, and on both sides there are huge trees covered with snow, which, like silent listeners, know everything that passers-by say. And how beautifully the picture shows white and gray colors! How many shades of white exist, I could not imagine! And you?
St. Isaac's Cathedral on a frosty day
St. Petersburg is the cultural capital of all of Russia, and it was here that Aivazovsky saw this wonderful winter picture, which he later reproduced in oil on canvas. St. Isaac's Cathedral shines in all its glory from the snow on a frosty day, and next to it white-drawn triples with bells ride ladies and gentlemen on sleighs - the most common entertainment of the time.
Mill (1874)
This sketch study is made in black and white with a slate pencil. The old mill has long been idle, and only the snow beautifully painted beautiful patterns on its huge blades. Passersby are passing by, on a sleigh and on foot, on the street it is cloudy and dark and as if sad in the hearts of these passers-by. Clear and precise lines make the sketch perfect and beautiful. They say the truth, a talented person is talented in everything ...
Finally
In the photo: Karitna "Calm" 1885.
For objective reasons, it is impossible to tell about all the paintings, because Aivazovsky has a lot of them, and among them there are simply no bad ones. All of them are magnificent and rightfully recognized as world masterpieces of painting.
Undoubtedly, the presented photographs of reproductions of magnificent masterpieces by the master cannot convey all the beauty and deep meaning of the plots. So, if you are in Feodosia, be sure to visit the art gallery of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky. The editors of most-beauty.ru asks you to write which Aivazovsky paintings you like best.
Sea. Koktebel Bay. 1853
The name of the Armenian artist - Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky - is forever imprinted in the history of Russian painting. His contribution is simply invaluable, and his works, which number about six thousand.
Moonlit night on Capri, 1841
Aivazovsky's masterpieces are still very popular and are sold at various auctions for a lot of money.Beautiful and high-quality art will never lose its value and will not go out of fashion, as you can see by looking at the paintings of the brilliant landscape painter-marine painter.
And the full list of his paintings in high resolution you can see on the Wikipedia website by clicking on the link.
Sketch of air over the sea