- 4
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky
Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 GBP
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Description
- Shipping on the Bosphorus, Constantinople
- signed with initial l.l.; further signed in Cyrillic and dated 1900 on the reverse
- oil on panel
- 27 by 20cm, 10 1/2 by 7 3/4 in.
Provenance
Private Collection, USA
Sotheby's London, The Russian Sale, 29 April 1999, lot 45
Sotheby's London, The Russian Sale, 29 April 1999, lot 45
Exhibited
Istanbul, Türkiye İş Bankası. Seas, Cities and Dreams, 2001
Literature
G.Caffiero and I.Samarine, Seas, Cities and Dreams, London: Alexandria Press, 2000, p.93, plate 49, illustrated
Condition
The panel appears sound. The paint surface is slightly dirty with a layer of slightly yellowed varnish. Some restoration to a spot just left of centre of the top inner frame edge is visible to the naked eye. UV LIght confirms the above repair and also reveals retouching to the right half of the upper inner frame edge and along the lower half of the left inner frame edge. There are further minor spots of retouching scattered across the sky with a few small spots in places elsewhere, Held in a moulded 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
The present view of Constantinople’s historic Arnavutköy district in the spring of 1900 is among the last works Aivazovsky ever painted, and may even be his final completed painting before his death in May that year. The impressionistic handling of paint is extremely unusual for Aivazovsky and marks an important departure in technique, remarkable at this late stage in his career. The free and liquid brushwork, particularly in the ships’ reflections and the lush slopes beyond the Ottoman mansions, recall the small Normandy seascapes of his French contemporary Eugène Boudin (1824-1898) and the light-filled landscapes of Claude Monet (1840-1926). The bright red flags and azure sea make this one of the most uplifting views of the city that had so enraptured Aivazovsky over the course of his life.