At an early age, Alexey BogolyUbov lost his father, who was a veteran of the Patriotic War of 1812. The boy was brought up in the Naval Cadet Corps. After graduation, the future artist traveled with the fleet to many countries. Consequently, these voyages served as a rich source of materials for his numerous seascapes and battle scenes. Besides, seeing the works by the best Western European artists made a giant impact on Bogolyubov’s development as a painter—he could identify with J. M. W. Turner and his seascapes that Bogolyubov saw in London. In his own creative work, the artist strived for the harmony of colors, which can be seen in the “Italian coast.”

Bogolyubov worked on this painting during his scholarship trip to Italy after graduating from the Academy of Arts in 1854. During this period, he was looking for his own style and would often imitate other artists, heavily influenced by Ivan Aivazovsky — the most famous Russian marine painter, who at that time was experiencing incredible creative growth. The painting is one of Bogolyubov’s early apprentice works. It is marked by a rather conventional coloring and romantic interpretation of the landscape. Soft color range and weightless strokes allow us to feel the happy mood of the artist. Bogolyubov created a perfect seascape. He was mesmerized by the warm light and clear air of the Italian coast, impregnable shores, and calm water surface.

In his later artworks, we can see that Bogolyubov wants to look into the very essence of nature and convey it as it is. He did it in a fashion similar to that of Sylvester Shchedrin. ‘I had the great audacity, but I have always admired this master and copied his study paintings lovingly when I was in the Academy, ’ recalled Bogolyubov during his Italian voyage. Shchedrin’s influence can be seen in the soft light of the morning Sun and the solemn tranquility of Italian nature. As a former outstanding navy officer, Bogolyubov took some time finding his artistic path, however, his early paintings were skillful as well.