30 Romantic Russian Paintings of Ships at Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky

Ivan Aivazovsky (1817 – 1900) loved the sea. Considered one of the greatest marine artists in history, during his 60-year career he created an astonishing 6,000 beautiful paintings.

Sweeping seascapes, golden sunsets, moonlit nights—Aivazovsky surprises and delights.

He paints mighty ships of the line ploughing through rough waters at full sail, or drifting in the stillness of a calm sea.

He captures the grandeur of the Imperial Russian fleet at anchor in the Black Sea ports.

He caresses the canvas with delicate brushwork and translucent layers of diffuse light.

Warmed by the rising sun, great buildings appear from behind morning mists. Anchored tall ships sit shrouded in glowing fog. Incandescent moonlight shimmers across the calm waters of Black Sea bays.

So admired was his work by Russians, that the saying “worthy of Aivazovsky’s brush” described something “ineffably lovely.”

Press “play” to add atmosphere to your sea voyage as you scroll through Aivazovsky’s beautiful paintings.

Sunset in Crimea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1865
Sunset in Crimea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1865
The Bay Golden Horn by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1845
The Bay Golden Horn by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1845
Parade of the Black Sea Fleet by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849
Parade of the Black Sea Fleet by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849
Sunset - Ivan Aivazovsky, 1866
Sunset – Ivan Aivazovsky, 1866
Near Crimean coast - Ivan Aivazovsky, 1890
Near Crimean coast – Ivan Aivazovsky, 1890
Shipwreck near Gurzuf - Ivan Aivazovsky, 1898
Shipwreck near Gurzuf – Ivan Aivazovsky, 1898


Lunar night by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1857
Lunar night by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1857
Moon Path by Ivan Aivazovsky
Moon Path by Ivan Aivazovsky
Reval - Ivan Aivazovsky, 1844
Reval – Ivan Aivazovsky, 1844
Calm Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1863
Calm Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1863
Ayu-Dag on a foggy day by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1853
Ayu-Dag on a foggy day by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1853


Morning at Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849
Morning at Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849
The Bay of Naples at moonlit night. Vesuvius by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1870
The Bay of Naples at moonlit night. Vesuvius by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1870
The Great Roads at Kronstadt by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1836
The Great Roads at Kronstadt by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1836
The sunset on sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1848
The sunset on sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1848
Smolny Convent by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849
Smolny Convent by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849
Farewell by Ivan Aivazovsky
Farewell by Ivan Aivazovsky


Kerch by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1839
Kerch by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1839
The Bay of Naples in the morning by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1843
The Bay of Naples in the morning by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1843
Russian squadron on the raid of Sevastopol by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1846
Russian squadron on the raid of Sevastopol by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1846
View of Constantinople by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849
View of Constantinople by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849
The Ninth Wave by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1850
The Ninth Wave by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1850
Ships at anchor by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1851
Ships at anchor by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1851


Windmill on the Sea Coast by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1851
Windmill on the Sea Coast by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1851
Fishermen on the coast of the sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1852
Fishermen on the coast of the sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1852
Constantinople by Ivan Aivazovsky
Constantinople by Ivan Aivazovsky
Icebergs by Ivan Aivazovsky c.1860
Icebergs by Ivan Aivazovsky c.1860
A Lunar night on Capri by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1841
A Lunar night on Capri by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1841
Searching for Suvivors by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1870
Searching for Suvivors by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1870
Tempest on the sea at night by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849
Tempest on the sea at night by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849


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Further Reading
Discover more about Ivan Aivazovsky at Wikipedia.org