Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

Christie's London, Russian Art, 13 June 2007, lot 31

G.Caffiero and I.Samarine, Light, Water and Sky: The Paintings of Ivan Aivazovsky, London: Alexandria Press, 2012, p.133, no.54 illustrated

Original canvas, which has been re-stretched by Hamish Dewar in 2007. The surface is covered with a layer of surface dirt and fine craquelure is visible throughout. There are minor frame abrasions along the edges as well as a scratch to the upper left corner. Inspection under UV reveals scattered retouching and infilling of the craquelure, but a layer of opaque varnish prevents a more conclusive analysis. Held in a gold painted wood frame. Unexamined out of frame.
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In 1846, Nicholas I commissioned Aivazovsky to paint a series on Russian ports, including Odessa, Sevastopol and Kerch. These views were well-received and a number were exhibited in Theodosia the same year, and his subsequent views of Odessa are relatively rare and highly sought-after. With its dark skies and moonlit seafront, the present 1861 view is among the most dramatic depictions of the city by this ‘unrivalled master’, as Dostoevsky dubbed him in the same year.

Founded by order of Catherine the Great in 1794, Odessa grew rapidly during the 19th century, becoming the fourth largest city in the Russian Empire and its largest port on the Black Sea. A free port between 1819 and 1858, it was home to a diverse mix of people. Its economic success was reflected in its architecture, such as the impressive Classicist buildings facing the port, or the famous giant stairway built between 1837 and 1841, which connects the port with the city. Clean diagonals clearly appealed to Aivazovsky, whether the formal architecture and steps in the present lot, or the clear lines of the terraces and railways that cut through his shorelines, for example Moonrise: the First Train in Theodosia (1892), or even the long straight paths through cornfields.

The present work is included in the numbered archive of the artist’s work compiled by Gianni Caffiero and Ivan Samarine.