Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

The canvas has been relined. There are lines of craquelure throughout and stretcher marks running down the centre of the canvas. UV light reveals an uneven layer of varnish, retouching along the lower edge, in patches to the sky in the right-hand section of the sky, in a few places along the left edge and some scattered retouchings elsewhere. Held in an ornate gold painted plaster frame. Unexamined out of frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Throughout his life, Aivazovsky turned frequently to his beloved Crimea for inspiration. Whether depicting the coastline in the intense midday heat, or bathed in the rose-pink rays of the setting sun, as in the offered view, these compositions are testament to the artist's unrivalled mastery of the depiction of light on water and the importance of sunlight in his canvases. As Aivazovsky himself commented, 'the paintings whose principal effect comes from the sunlight should be considered my best' (the artist quoted in Sh.Khachatourian, Aivazovsky, The Poetry of the Sea, Paris: Thalia Edition, 2007, p.32).

In the offered lot, the stillness of the early evening is palpable. Aivazovsky frames the elegant sweep of the bay with the majestic silhouettes of the cypresses in the foreground, whose rich green hues contrast with the translucent pastel colours of the mountains beyond. Aivazovsky revelled in the subtle differences of various light effects on the same landscape. Crimean View, Ayu Dag (1865, The National Gallery of Armenia) depicts the same stretch of coastline in the darker and cooler shadows cast by a sunset closer to the horizon.

To be included in the forthcoming catalogue of the works by Ivan Aivazovsky being prepared by Gianni Caffiero and Ivan Samarine.