Ivan Aivazovsky Artwork

Ivan Aivazovsky – the master of marine art

introduction

Ivan Aivazovsky was a Russian painter of late Romanticism who is considered one of the greatest masters of marine art. 

Early life

He was born into an Armenian family in the Black Sea port of Feodosia in Crimea and was mostly based there. The bustling port town proved to be the perfect environment for young Ivan. The sailors and ships would intrigue his imagination and be the main theme of his paintings in the coming future. Following his education at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, Aivazovsky traveled to Europe and lived briefly in Italy in the early 1840s.

Famous works

 He then returned to Russia and was appointed the main painter of the Russian Navy. Aivazovsky had close ties with the military and political elite of the Russian Empire and often attended military maneuvers. He was sponsored by the state and was well regarded during his lifetime. In 1847 he was made the professor of Seascape painting, and the following year he married Julia Graves. He was blessed with four daughters, but his marriage life wasn't the happiest. During the 1860s, Aivazovsky attended huge popularity thanks to his natural talents with a paintbrush. One of the most prominent Russian artists of his time, Aivazovsky, was also popular outside Russian Empire. He held numerous solo exhibitions in Europe and the United States. 

Most romantic artist of Russia 

During his 60-year career, he created around 6000 paintings, making him one of the most prolific artists of his time. The vast majority of his works are seascapes, but he often depicted battle scenes & portraiture. He also started art school during the latter stages of his life. Most of Aivazovsky's works are like Chaos (The Creation), The Ninth Wave, The Rainbow, The Black Sea, Descent of Noah from Ararat, and The Wave kept in Russian, Ukrainian, and Armenian museums and private collections. Aivazovsky was widely considered as the last romantic artist of Russia and has greatly influence many young artists to come. Aivazovsky died in the year 1900 at the place of his birth.