Ivan Constantinovich Aivasovsky

Acquired by the family of the previous owner (circa 1900)
Thence by descent
Acquired by the present owner (from the above)

This remarkable rediscovered Aivasovsky has been hidden from public view for 126 years, as the work has been in private hands in Greece.  

The painting reveals Aivasovsky’s remarkable ability to convey man’s futile attempt to persevere over the forces of nature.  Measuring an extraordinary 198 by 268 centimeters, this wall-size painting demonstrates Aivasovsky’s inimitable approach to the sea on the grandest of scales.   Aivasovsky presents a possible moment of hope, as the struggling boat filled with crewmen in desperate danger of capsizing signal beyond the viewer’s purview, outside the picture plane to a possibly larger ship beyond.  Aivasovsky successfully conveys the dramatic counterpoint of the insignificant boat tossing madly in the vast, seemingly boundless choppy sea.  To enhance this theatricality and underscore the futility of man versus the elements, Aivasovsky incorporates white seagulls within the composition, mere twirling white specks in nature. 

Captivated by this subject, Aivasovsky repeated this theme numerous times, visible in works as early as 1850, such as The Ninth Wave presently in the collection of The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, as well as Shipwreck of 1876 (see fig. 1).   In The Survivors, turbulent, translucent waves appear luminous.  Depth is phenomenally demarcated through the foamy water which sputters an entire range of blue, green, yellow, and turquoise tones leading to the deep royal blues and purples of the background; ominous colors that suggest a brewing tempest.  The crewmen in the boat are painted in Aivasovsky’s characteristic manner, with hands outstretched towards rescue (see fig. 2 for another example).

Aivasovsky’s dramatic land and seascapes, his versatile brushwork, and awesome use of color brought him universal acclaim and recognition in his lifetime.  He was born to an Armenian family in the ancient Crimean town of Theodosia.  As a young man he studied in the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts under the direction of M. Vorobyov, a renowned Romanticist.  Aivasovsky was acquainted with the most influential Russian artists and writers of his time, among them Alexander Ivanov, Nikolai Gogol and Alexander Pushkin, whom he painted on several occasions.