The Sea

Ivan Aivazovsky (1817–1900)

1898. Oil on canvas

Ivan Aivazosky’s skill in rendering the sea is considered unsurpassed in Russian art. His extensive creative legacy was admired in his lifetime, and is still admired today. His level of craftsmanship in depicting water, air and clouds, by means of simple painting techniques, remained unachievable for his pupils as well as numerous imitators. He retained his sprightliness and virtuosity to the very last years of his life: the seascape displayed at this exhibition was painted at the age of 81.
The painting depicts a view of the Isle of Capri. A similar silhouette can be seen in many of his paintings: Aivazovsky lived and worked in Italy in 1840–1842, right after graduation from the Academy of Fine Arts, and used the sketches he made there later. One of the earliest views of Capri from the same angle dates from 1845; the painting closest to the one displayed at the Kadriorg Art Museum is dated 1878. Towards the end of his life, Aivazovsky did not travel, and lived in Feodosia, on the coast of his beloved Black Sea. He received the commission for the view of Capri in 1892; the large-sized painting (250 × 345 cm) is currently in the Armenian National Gallery. The painting at the Kadriorg Museum is considerably smaller, lacks the staffage in the foreground, and focusses on the opalescent waves, luminous sunlight and fluffy clouds.