Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was a prominent marine artist. He was born in 1817 in Feodosia. Recalling his childhood years, he wrote, “The first pictures I saw at the time when the first spark of ardent love for painting was catching fire with me were lithographs and engravings depicting the exploits of heroes of the late 1820s, fighting the Turks for the liberation of Greece; my first childish babble was mixed with the names of [folk heroes] — Babolina [Bouboulina], Canaris, Miaoulis…”
Aivazovsky studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. There, professors noted Aivazovsky’s passion for marine painting. The artist not only painted seascapes, but also created battle painting and participated in military operations. The magazine “Pantheon” wrote, “It is impossible not to feel deep appreciation for the talent that does not forget to eternalize everything that can only be of interest to the future generation, because people die and only their deeds and names remain in the memory of the people.”
The title of the painting is quite long, but it explains the plot. It was created when the artist was an elderly man. He wanted to honor his childhood impressions. The canvas was presented in 1882 at the Imperial Academy of Arts. In the painting, the artist clearly expresses his sympathy for the heroic people of Greece in their struggle against the Ottoman rule. Aivazovsky donated all the funds received from his participation in the exhibition to help the population of the rebellious island of Crete. It was the 63-year-old artist’s response to the liberation movement in Greece.
This is a wonderful seascape in dark colors with an excellently painted anxious night sky. Moonlight breaks through the rushing, swirling clouds, illuminating the boat in the foreground and the surging waves from the strong strokes of the rowers sitting at the oars. A female figure in white with a saber in her hand addresses her comrades with a fiery speech, calling to go forward, to their goal. In the distance, in the dark, only the coast is outlined with the lights from bonfires, the silhouettes of Turkish ships and the smoke from the launched artillery shells, which makes the viewer remember that this is a battle scene. Meanwhile, the mighty sea waves carry the boat to the life-saving shore, and the moonlight seems to illuminate their way. This light is shed on the clouds and on the tops of the mountains where a village lies. Thanks to this light, the seascape looks animated, accentuating the special beauty of the water surface and the volume of strong waves that roll towards the shore. This romantic canvas perfectly conveys the play of light and shadow.
Aivazovsky studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. There, professors noted Aivazovsky’s passion for marine painting. The artist not only painted seascapes, but also created battle painting and participated in military operations. The magazine “Pantheon” wrote, “It is impossible not to feel deep appreciation for the talent that does not forget to eternalize everything that can only be of interest to the future generation, because people die and only their deeds and names remain in the memory of the people.”
The title of the painting is quite long, but it explains the plot. It was created when the artist was an elderly man. He wanted to honor his childhood impressions. The canvas was presented in 1882 at the Imperial Academy of Arts. In the painting, the artist clearly expresses his sympathy for the heroic people of Greece in their struggle against the Ottoman rule. Aivazovsky donated all the funds received from his participation in the exhibition to help the population of the rebellious island of Crete. It was the 63-year-old artist’s response to the liberation movement in Greece.
This is a wonderful seascape in dark colors with an excellently painted anxious night sky. Moonlight breaks through the rushing, swirling clouds, illuminating the boat in the foreground and the surging waves from the strong strokes of the rowers sitting at the oars. A female figure in white with a saber in her hand addresses her comrades with a fiery speech, calling to go forward, to their goal. In the distance, in the dark, only the coast is outlined with the lights from bonfires, the silhouettes of Turkish ships and the smoke from the launched artillery shells, which makes the viewer remember that this is a battle scene. Meanwhile, the mighty sea waves carry the boat to the life-saving shore, and the moonlight seems to illuminate their way. This light is shed on the clouds and on the tops of the mountains where a village lies. Thanks to this light, the seascape looks animated, accentuating the special beauty of the water surface and the volume of strong waves that roll towards the shore. This romantic canvas perfectly conveys the play of light and shadow.
