Lev Feliksovich Lagorio was a painter and watercolorist, known for his landscapes, seascapes, and portraits. He lived in the same area as Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky and was his first student. The artist was born in Feodosia on the coast of the Black Sea. He started painting at an early age, and at 12, he already studied in the workshop of Ivan Aivazovsky. At the age of 15, he enrolled at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. After graduation, he went on a trip to Europe that was funded by a scholarship. For eight years, he studied French and Italian painting. Having returned to Russia, in 1860, the artist was awarded the title of professor of landscape painting.
The sea is a living manifestation of nature and a source of inspiration. It has always attracted artists with its vast expanses, beauty, romanticism, infinity, power, and tenderness. Unlike Ivan Aivazovsky, who painted seascapes from memory in his studio, Lev Lagorio painted from life, which contributed to the realistic and sensitive nature of his paintings.
The artist was fascinated by the sea. He traveled on the “Threatening” ship and owned a sailing boat which he took on trips along the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Naturally, the sea became a favorite theme in the art of Lev Lagorio. In his paintings, the sea is always different: it is depicted at night and at dawn, it can be rough, excited, or smooth, gloomy or colorful.
