Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

Collection of the Demidoff family since the late 19th century
Thence by descent to the present owner

Structural Condition The canvas is unlined and is securely attached to what appears to be the artist's original, keyed wooden stretcher. This is providing a stable structural support. There is a small repair in the upper left corner as viewed from the reverse. This appears stable but has distorted the canvas and is clearly visible on the recto. Paint Surface The paint surface has an uneven and heavily discoloured and degraded varnish layer. There are scattered drip marks and accretions throughout the composition. There are small pin holes running intermittently along the upper horizontal framing edge which possibly relate to a previous tacking edge. The paint surface has an overall pattern of raised craquelure. This appears stable. There is a raised stretcher-bar line corresponding to the central horizontal stretcher member. This also appears stable. There is an area of minor paint losses towards the lower left corner of the composition, a minor paint loss within the sky in the upper right quadrant, and a further small line of paint loss within the sea in the lower left quadrant of the composition. Inspection under ultra-violet light confirms the heavily discoloured and degraded varnish layer which prevents the ultra-violet light from fully penetrating. Inspection under ultra-violet light also shows an area of retouching in the upper right corner of the composition which corresponds to the repair mentioned above. There are also small spots of retouching corresponding to the pin holes mentioned above, and a few small spots and lines of retouching above the area of paint loss towards the lower left corner of the composition. Due to the heavily discoloured and uneven varnish layers it is not possible to ascertain the extent of any previous restoration work. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in relatively good and stable condition and would benefit from cleaning, restoration and revarnishing, including the treatment of the raised craquelure pattern, and from the removal and careful replacement of any previous restoration work.
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Aivazovsky returned to this New Testament episode in his 1888 canvas, Walking on Water (The State Museum of the History of Religion, St Petersburg). In the present earlier version St Peter is depicted with the other disciples still on board the boat.

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