By Maria Bregman
Ivan Aivazovsky was a man of many talents and passions. He was a painter, a philanthropist, a traveler, a patriot, and a visionary. He was also a man of the sea and the sky, who devoted his life and art to capturing the beauty and power of nature, and the spirit and history of his homeland.
Aivazovsky, who was born in 1817 in the Crimean town of Feodosia, is widely regarded as one of the greatest marine painters of all time, and one of the most prolific and popular artists of the 19th century. He created more than 6,000 paintings, most of them depicting the sea in various moods, colors, and lights, from calm and serene, to stormy and dramatic. He also painted landscapes, portraits, historical scenes, and religious subjects, but it was the sea that fascinated him the most, and that earned him fame and recognition both in Russia and abroad.
Aivazovsky’s talent and passion for painting emerged at an early age, and he received his first artistic education at the local gymnasium, where he studied under the guidance of Jacob Koch, a German painter and teacher. In 1833, he moved to St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire, where he enrolled at the Imperial Academy of Arts, the most prestigious art institution in the country. There, he studied under the tutelage of Maxim Vorobiev, a renowned landscape painter, and Alexander Sauerweid, a celebrated battle painter.
Aivazovsky’s artistic career took off in 1837, when he received a gold medal from the Academy for his painting “The Calm Sea”, and a scholarship to travel to Europe and study the works of the old masters. He spent four years in Italy, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, where he visited museums, galleries, and studios, and met and befriended many famous artists, such as J.M.W. Turner, Eugene Delacroix, and Horace Vernet. He also painted many views of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which impressed the critics and the public with their realism, luminosity, and expressiveness.
Aivazovsky returned to Russia in 1841, and settled in his native Feodosia, where he built his own house and studio, and established a school and a museum for young artists. He also became an official painter of the Russian Navy, and traveled extensively along the coasts of Russia, Turkey, Greece, and Egypt, documenting the naval expeditions, battles, and explorations of the Russian fleet. He witnessed and depicted some of the most important events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1853-1856, such as the Siege of Sevastopol, the Battle of Sinop, and the Battle of Navarino. He also painted some of the most iconic portraits of the Russian naval heroes, such as Pavel Nakhimov, Mikhail Lazarev, and Vladimir Kornilov.
Aivazovsky’s paintings were not only admired for their artistic quality, but also for their patriotic and symbolic value. He portrayed the sea as a source of inspiration and pride for the Russian people, as well as a symbol of their strength and courage in the face of adversity. He also expressed his love and respect for his native land, especially the Crimea, which he considered his spiritual home. He donated many of his paintings to various institutions and organizations, such as the Academy of Arts, the Naval Ministry, and the Russian Geographical Society, and supported many charitable and cultural causes, such as the construction of schools, churches, and hospitals.
Aivazovsky’s fame and popularity reached their peak in the 1870s and 1880s, when he received numerous honors and awards around in the world. He was elected a member of several academies and societies, such as the Academy of St. Luke in Rome, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and the Legion of Honor in Paris. He also participated in many exhibitions and festivals, such as the World’s Fair in Paris, the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, and the Jubilee Exhibition in Moscow. He was praised and admired by many prominent figures, such as Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Mark Twain, who called him “a magician of the brush”.
Aivazovsky continued to paint until his death in 1900, at the age of 82. He left behind a legacy of thousands of paintings, which are now displayed in many museums and collections around the world, such as the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, the Louvre in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He also inspired and influenced many generations of artists, such as Ivan Shishkin, Arkhip Kuindzhi, and Ivan Kramskoy, who followed and developed his style and vision.