Hovhannes Ayvazovski

Description

The name of Aivazovsky is forever tied witn tne sea. With virtuoso skill and tangible similitude he conveyed the movement of the waves, the transparency of water, the dialogue - now gentle, now stormy -between the sea and the sky. The artist also turned to subjects from national history and landscapes of Armenia. Bom in Theodosia in the Crimea, he graduated from the Saint-Petersburg Academy of Arts with a gold medal at the age of 20 years. He was sent to study in Italy and returned as a recognized master. Delacroix spoke of him with great respect and Turner referred to him as a genius. The originality of Aivazovsky is largely determined by his national character and temperament. The ideas of light creative value and light of knowledge, which have deep roots in Armenian cultural tradition, were one of the most important peculiarities of his art. The magical light atmosphere gives the artist's canvases a dreamy and emotional filling. Over half of Aivazovsky's works are views of stormy sea. While depicting a storm he always presents people fighting the elements and helping each other. Here we sense the optimism and vitality inherent to the Armenian nation. The basis of Aivazovskyi's romanticism is the freedom-loving spirit of his epoch, as well as the deep belief in life and nature of men, these small particles of the cosmos.