I Must Go Down to The Sea Again!
I think it's a little bit obvious I love a good art obsession, but Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817-1900), really knew how to obsess and excel at his chosen genre of Seascapes in the Romantic style, dedicating his 60 year career to around 6,000 canvases, with about 20,000 attributed to him! And I'd never heard of him!
Born on this day, 29th July, in the Crimea, of Armenian heritage, he collected medals and accolades throughout his life, travelling extensively in the process.
Bay of Naples in Moonlight, 1842
He clocked up 55 solo exhibitions all around the world, including: Berlin; New York; Paris; San Francisco and London! He stuck with what he knew and what he was good at, even when the Art Movement turned from Romanticism to Realism. His home became a Museum of Art in 1880, and still is, housing over 400 of his works. The most astounding thing I learned from someone who knew his art practice, was that he always worked from memory! Able to retain in his mind's eye, every nuance of the sea in all its moods, whether by day, or moonlight.
Black Sea at Night (L) Pushkin's Farewell to the Black Sea, 1877 (R)
Aivazovsky met Russia's National Poet, Pushkin, in September, 1837
The Ninth Wave, 1850, (his most famous painting)
Stormy Sea at Night
His love for Armenia grew stronger, and was further enhanced by his marrying an Armenian widow. It seems his beloved country returned the compliment by celebrating him on the obverse of a 2,000 dram banknote in 2018:
I had absolutely no trouble tracking down a virtual gallery of his paintings, more a matter of which backing music was preferable. So, if you'd like a quick riffle through some of his output, there's this:
Enjoy!
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