The magnificence, strength and fury of the sea always attracted the minds and hearts of creative people: poets and artists. However, the most ambitious and expressive declaration of love for this stormy element was the paintings of Aivazovsky.
Love for life
Ivan Konstantinovich was born on the coast, in Feodosia. After graduating from high school in Simferopol, the young man, obedient to the call of talent, went to St. Petersburg, to the Academy of Arts. Having completed his studies with a gold medal, the young artist traveled a lot around the world and became more and more convinced that the marine theme would become the main one for him. He was destined to become the founder of marinism in Russian painting. The artist lived all his long life on the seashore, inspiring him and revealing to him a lot of his mysterious life.
Masterpieces of the brush of genius
The sea of Aivazovsky’s paintings represents us differently: this is a mighty seething element that amazes the imagination with its strength and fury, it is a calm and gentle expanse of calm, breathing with the delicate pink and gold reflections of the evening sun.
Already during the life of the artist it became obvious that he was a genius. More than fifty personal exhibitions, enthusiastic responses of connoisseurs reflected the indisputable gift of the Russian marine painter. Pictures Aivazovsky willingly acquired the crowned person.
Seascapes of the artist are incredibly poetic and romantic, at the same time they are deeply realistic works. In the first works, Aivazovsky enthusiastically draws slender warships on a glossy surface with foggy scallops of waves, he puts battle theme in the basis of the plot. “The Big Raid in Kronstadt”, “Landing in Subashi” - canvases of that time. Later, the artist will write more than once vivid battle scenes, expressive and eloquent.
Features of creativity
The best paintings by Aivazovsky are not only remarkable for their amazing reliability and full of dynamics, they are also deeply philosophical. The painting “Chaos. Creation of the World ”, the young artist created in Italy during a trip that he was awarded for his excellent graduation from the Academy of Fine Arts. The plot was based on scenes from the first chapter of the Bible (Genesis). A radiance appears over the boundless surface of darkness-filled waters - God's Spirit illuminates and sanctifies space, filling it with light. The dazzlingly white figure of the Divine as if confronted by a black formless shadow, in impotent rage spread its arms, trying to protect the earth from the invasion of light. But the darkness can not resist, another moment - and he will disappear, dissipate, be defeated. Today, this work of the Russian master is stored in the collection of the Museum of the Congregation of Mkhitarists in Venice. Aivazovsky will return to the biblical theme twenty years later, depicting on the canvas the grandiose scenes of the Flood. Aivazovsky painting with this name was purchased by the Emperor Alexander the Second in the collection of the Winter Palace. Now she is exhibited in the State Russian Museum of St. Petersburg.
The painting “View of Crimea on a moonlit night” is full of extraordinary silence and endless peace. The brig Mercury is seen as romantic and fabulous in the picture of the same name dedicated to the victory of the Russian fleet over Turkish ships. Fierce and hot seems to be the Sinop battle on canvas with the same name. Mysterious and unpredictable marine verses on the late canvas of the artist, called "Among the waves."
The Ninth Wave
Stunningly expressive and majestic this famous painting by Aivazovsky. The sea on it, frantic and beautiful, is opposed to defenseless people trying to survive on the wreckage of a shipwrecked ship.
The light of the incipient morning throws unbearably bright golden spots on the shimmering surface of the water, on which a huge wave rises - the ninth (strongest Sami) rampart. The element seems invincible. However, a handful of courageous people in the foreground, being the semantic center of the work, inspires confidence that life will triumph. Such was all the inspirational work of the artist, who created about six thousand picturesque masterpieces that adorn the expositions of many museums in the world.