Black Sea - Aivazovsky. 1881. Oil on canvas. 149x208 cm
Not every artist is given the skill of reproducing natural elements - air, fire, water. Ivan Konstantinovich was endowed without measure with the ability to depict the sea - perhaps none of his contemporaries could do better than him with large-scale paintings on the marine theme.
The canvas at first sight impresses with a spectacular image of the violence of the elements. Looking at it, it immediately becomes clear why the Black Sea got its name. Peaceful and gentle, blue-green and calm in good weather, in a storm this sea turns into a roaring wild beast.
In its abyss, many ships have found their end during the long era of the existence of shipping in this area of the world. A hint of this is a tiny, barely noticeable image of a ship on the horizon behind the stormy waves of water. It is not clear to us whether the ship is in distress, or whether it is coping with the ferocious elements, since it is very far from us, almost on the border of heaven and earth. But, knowing the harsh and unpredictable nature of the Black Sea, one can only sympathize with the sailors who got into a storm on it.
The famous painting shows the moment when the storm is just beginning. It is still a long way before the billows reach their critical height, but the water has already taken on a deep leaden hue, and the crests of the waves show the beginning of a storm. Even a person just looking at the canvas begins to literally physically feel this pitching, because the pattern of the waves is conveyed with skill bordering on magic.
The color scheme of the picture is dark, muted, quite saturated and rich, but not having a single bright or “open” shade. The whole composition is built on halftones, which should make the waves shimmer with vibrant colors of water in a storm. The sky is written under steel waves. It is completely covered with heavy, like lead-filled clouds, threatening a prolonged downpour and a dangerous thunderstorm. To be in such weather in the middle of the open sea is deadly. And only in the distance, at the very horizon, the artist painted a bright strip, above which white safe clouds swirl. Perhaps it is there, beyond the horizon, covered with clouds, that the longed-for saving land is located, where a small ship, lost in the terrible, formidable waters of the Black Sea, strives with all its might.
The general impression of the canvas is the incredible, crushing power of the elements, so far lurking, not played out in full force. But soon, soon the storm will come...
Many people admire the beauty of the sea or ocean when they are at rest, but every person looks at the rampant elements with apprehension and anxiety. Aivazovsky on his canvas "The Tempest" depicted us a storm, a storm that torments a poor ship.
The picture is painted in dark blue and gray tones, which show the tragedy of the situation. The abundance of gray tones with flashes of blue shows that the storm has settled for a long time. Against the backdrop of such clouds and waves, a ship seems defenseless and tiny, so it can’t cope with the elements in any way. A little to the side we see rocks, which the ship stumbled upon, and people managed to climb onto the rocks. Unfortunately, no one knows how long the storm will last, so the fate of people is still unknown.
Seagulls circling stubbornly above the ship, they hear prey and hope to profit well during a storm. A little further away you can see a light shadow from another ship, which is also trying to resist the elements. In the background, through the clouds and waves, the outlines of a large city appear, but it still needs to be reached.
The picture makes a strong impression that will stay with me for a long time. Aivazovsky showed us that it is useless to fight the elements. Unfortunately, sometimes neither high-rise buildings nor strong walls can protect us from the vagaries of nature. In such a situation, a person can only wait until the storm subsides.
Composition based on the painting by Aivazovsky "Storm on the Black Sea"
The painting "Storm on the Sea at Night" was painted in 1849 by the famous painter Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky. The artist belongs to the marine painters, as he devoted all his work to the creation of paintings depicting the sea in all its manifestations. The general mood of the picture very truthfully conveys the state of the night raging sea, which plays with the sailboat, as with a small chip. It seems to me that the artist achieved this effect thanks to the exact choice of color and masterful execution.
In the background of the picture, I see a menacing night sky. Through the flying clouds and fragments of clouds, the full moon looked out. Having managed, only for a few moments, to break through the dense veil, she illuminates the doomed ship. I think that this light, although cold, still gives sailors hope for salvation.
The entire foreground of the picture is occupied by the raging sea. I see mighty waves coming one after another. The artist depicted the raging elements very realistically. Looking at the picture, I have a strong feeling that all the efforts of the ship's crew are in vain. Huge rifts, seething foam on the crest of the waves, look intimidating. In those places where the moon illuminates the waves, I am aware of the frightening depth of the sea. I think this mood is caused by the fact that the famous marine painter used the play of light and shadow very well when he painted the picture.
The water element captivates and attracts the attention of many famous artists. Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky did not stand aside either. The talented landscape painter was extremely fond of describing the grandeur of natural phenomena, their grace and rebelliousness. One of the paintings called "Storm on the Black Sea" captures the wrath of the sea.
The waves on the Black Sea are raging and sweep away everything in their path. Looking at the canvas, goosebumps run through my body. Horror seizes my imagination. A small ship appears in front of the viewer, which fell into a sea storm. High waves throw him from side to side, not giving a single chance to win. However, the ship's crew does not give up, does not give up. They courageously row with oars and try to keep the ship on the surface of the water.
In an instant, it seems to me that their work is in vain. The sea storm dragged on, and the sailors have been struggling with the water element for quite a long time. Their strength is running out. If the ship capsizes, everyone will die. Not a single member of the team wants to put up with such a fate, therefore, all sailors harmoniously keep the ship afloat.
The picture is executed in dark, blue, gray and black colors. The shades of the sky merge with the colors of the raging water. They combine into one single storm that comes across, attacks a small ship. He is trapped. Seagulls fly over the ship. Most likely, they are also looking for a haven where they could ride out the storm.
If you peer into the distance of the canvas, you can see the land that will take tired sailors and give them the opportunity to rest. It's just that it's still so far away. However, the perseverance and diligence of the sailors instill in me hope, faith in the victory of man, in salvation.
The picture of I. K. Aivazovsky "Storm on the Black Sea" shocked my imagination. She will be remembered for a long time!
The Black Sea is the constant and most frequent object of the image of Ivan Aivazovsky. A native of Feodosia, the great marine painter knew his native shores almost by heart, which is why the waters of the Black Sea are so diverse in his work. “The Black Sea” is Aivazovsky’s painting, which attracts with its simplicity and inner strength. It depicts nothing but the sea, and that is what makes it thin and beautiful.
Marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky
The real name of the recognized master of the seascape is Hovhannes Ayvazyan, he comes from the family of an impoverished Armenian merchant. Due to the difficult financial situation, the young Aivazovsky could not afford a decent education in the art of drawing and painting until he attracted the attention of the chief architect Feodosia with his natural talent.
After initial help from his benefactor, Aivazovsky managed to quickly achieve recognition and popularity. A major role in achieving the status of an academician of arts was played by his unique manner of depicting water in general and seascapes in particular.
The painter's talent was not limited to images of the sea, as evidenced by his numerous portraits, rare genre compositions and plots on religious themes. However, Aivazovsky's only and inextinguishable passion was the sea.
The Black Sea in the work of Aivazovsky
Despite the fact that “The Black Sea” (a painting by Aivazovsky, painted in 1881) is the only canvas with such a name, the great marine painter often depicted the waters of the Black Sea on his canvases. The artist was born in Feodosia and lived there most of his life. Aivazovsky believed that it was impossible to draw water from nature, since it is the most fickle and changeable of the elements. However, the shores and waves of his native Black Sea were so familiar to him that he could depict their various states from memory.
Among the vast artistic heritage of the author, the largest number of paintings is devoted to the Black Sea, which was the constant theme of the artist. Aivazovsky depicted the Black Sea in all its guises - in calm and in a storm, day and night, in the rays of the morning sun or in the fire of sunset. The work of the great marine painter leaves no doubt about his love and affection for his native shores.
Description of the painting by Aivazovsky “Black Sea”
Despite the frequent depiction of native shores, there is only one painting in Aivazovsky's creative heritage, which is simply called "The Black Sea". This canvas was created by the artist in 1881 and offers viewers a view of the endless expanse of the sea, frozen on canvas just before the start of the storm. The second name of the picture is "A storm begins to play out on the Black Sea."
"The Black Sea" is a painting by Aivazovsky, characterized by the simplicity of the plot and the almost ideal proportions of the composition. The canvas depicts a darkened sea with frequent, restless, but not yet high waves, decorated with small foamy crests. Such waves, penetrated by rays of light and as if glowing from within, were called by the artist's contemporaries "Aivazovsky's waves".
The horizon line divides the picture almost perfectly into two equal parts - a stormy sea below, a darkened sky above, and between them a thin strip of land and a lone sail striving towards it barely peep through a veil of fog.
Painting analysis
The Black Sea is a painting by Aivazovsky that catches the eye with its effortless harmony and extraordinarily realistic color palette. In addition to the fact that the picture is compositionally divided in half into the sea and the sky, the elements of these two parts seem to be reflected in each other.
The dark clouds on the right merge and form an equilateral wedge with the dark waves of the raging sea. The play of light and shadow in the picture creates a lively composition, the dynamism of which is emphasized by the horizon line slightly tilted to the left.
The symmetry of the forms in the picture is the opposite of the asymmetry in the application of colors: while the sky is replete with a rich palette of shades, including purple, blue, azure, gray and ivory, the sea stretching under the sky cannot boast of such chromatic diversity. The sea in Aivazovsky's painting "The Black Sea" is made in blue-green, muted colors. The painting "Black Sea" (Aivazovsky masterfully depicted the state of the water element) should conquer not with an abundance of details and a riot of colors, but with realism, natural beauty and the power of a raging sea.
The Black Sea on other canvases by Aivazovsky
The Black Sea was Aivazovsky's eternal theme and never left the canvases on which the great marine painter worked for a long time. The artist's works glorify the beauty, variability and natural power of the water element, so it is not surprising that the Black Sea close to Aivazovsky is shown in his paintings in all its diversity and inconstancy.
The calm and serene Black Sea can be seen in the paintings “Entrance to the Sevastopol Bay” and “Gurzuf”, and its waters, pierced by the rays of the setting sun, are captured on the canvases “View of the sea from the mountains of Crimea” and “Sunset near the Crimean coast”. The description of Aivazovsky’s painting “Storm on the Black Sea” is complicated by the fact that there are three paintings with this name in the marine painter’s heritage.
Aivazovsky depicted the Black Sea in the first rays of the rising sun ("Sunrise in Feodosia") and in a stormy wind ("View of Odessa from the sea"). In the artist's paintings, they are engulfed in fog (“Foggy Morning”) or illuminated by the bright moon (“Feodosia. Moonlight Night”). Each image of the Black Sea suggests that the marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky carefully kept it in his memory all his life and even in Italy did not stop painting views of his native shores.
"Storm on the Black Sea" - a masterpiece by Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky is considered a real confirmation of his talent. In the work, the master depicts a rampant element that mercilessly takes the lives of people. The Creator showed a small ship that is sinking in the abyss of the wave.
The work is done in black colors: blue, grayish, greenish. The painter did not choose just such a palette in vain. The color palette conveys the hopeless state of the ship's crew. The richness of grayish and blue tones show that the hurricane will not end quickly. The ship, due to the gravity of the grayish clouds, is depicted as absolutely small and unprotected, it can no longer overcome the powerful elements. On the right side of the picture are plastic mountains, on the site of which the ship crashed. Near the huge stones are people who cannot swim out. Their further fate is not known, since the hurricane can continue for a long time.
In the distance, the outlines of a huge metropolis are visible. This is a huge city, like a lifeline in this abyss of troubles. The hurricane does not subside, and there is only boundless sea and sky around. Creation amazes with its own images. The grayish skies become the successor of the bottomless sea bay. The creation of the artist evokes invariable emotions in all the people who saw her.
The moment of excitement and awe at the sight of the picture will remain in people's memory for centuries to come. The painter, a master of his work, shows connoisseurs of art that natural forces are very strong. Today, technological progress, dams that were built using excellent technical tools, cannot be resisted by the stormy elements.
In an environment where a person meets a hurricane, the hope for him remains the expectation of revenue and time. The colors of realism are clearly imprinted on this masterpiece, and these traces cannot be changed by time.
