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Ivan Konstantinovich AÏVAZOVSKY (Feodossia, 1817-1900)
Shore…
See original version (French)
80
-
Ivan Konstantinovich AÏVAZOVSKY (Feodossia, 1817-1900)
Shore…
See original version (French)
Estimate €20,000 - €30,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Ivan Konstantinovich AÏVAZOVSKY (Feodossia, 1817-1900)
Shore in the moonlight.
Oil on board, signed lower right in Cyrillic "Aïv".
In a giltwood frame.
On the back an old label with references and inventory numbers.
H. 17.7 x W. 22.7 cm. Frame: H. 30.5 x W. 37 cm.
Provenance
Private collection from the West of France.
History
A major figure in Russian maritime painting in the 19th century, Ivan Aïvazovsky developed a body of work throughout his career entirely devoted to the sea, observed in its infinite variations. Trained at the Imperial Academy in Saint Petersburg, he travelled throughout Europe from an early age and established himself as one of the greatest interpreters of seascapes, celebrated for his ability to render the effects of light and the movements of water.
In this work, the sea is not captured in its spectacular violence, but in a moment of tense calm, bathed in moonlight. The moonlight, filtered through a slightly hazy atmosphere, is reflected on the restless surface of the water and structures the composition in a broad band of light on the horizon. This contrast between the darkness of the shore and the distant glow of the sea is characteristic of Aïvazovsky's language, based on simple but powerful contrasts.
In the foreground, two discreet figures on the shore introduce a human scale and a contemplative dimension. Reduced to silhouettes, they are not anecdotal but play a part in the economy of the scene: like the viewer, they look out over this moving, luminous expanse. On the horizon, an isolated sail extends this impression of distance and silence.
The work thus bears witness to Aïvazovsky's ability to transform a simple motif into a sensitive experience, in which light becomes the real subject of the painting, and the sea, far from being a backdrop, asserts itself as a space for meditation.
The present work is included in the numbered archive of the artist's work compiled by Gianni Caffiero and Ivan Samarine under reference CS-1880-019. A certificate dated March 2026 will be given to the buyer. An infrared photograph taken in the laboratory by Catherine Polnecq is available on request.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
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