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](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1486/26103636065_0253d4b144_o.jpg)
![The Bay Golden Horn by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1845](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1502/26037285951_ef88a98c7c_o.jpg)
![Parade of the Black Sea Fleet by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1657/26011107012_f8e6a2ae8f_h.jpg)
![Sunset - Ivan Aivazovsky, 1866](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1705/25498881454_87d1253f25_o.jpg)
![Near Crimean coast - Ivan Aivazovsky, 1890](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1551/25498881394_fe7a0708ce_o.jpg)
![Shipwreck near Gurzuf - Ivan Aivazovsky, 1898](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1656/26011106832_fbe9ec1a94_o.jpg)
![Lunar night by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1857](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1700/26037285671_eac044ca41_o.jpg)
![Moon Path by Ivan Aivazovsky](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1684/26077702716_f94f2459d9_o.jpg)
![Reval - Ivan Aivazovsky, 1844](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1559/25830801620_b805d28a3c_o.jpg)
![Calm Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1863](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1713/26037285571_081dd03be1_o.jpg)
![Ayu-Dag on a foggy day by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1853](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1450/26077702536_bde86bb7f7_o.jpg)
![Morning at Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1493/25498881154_2640ae6631_o.jpg)
![The Bay of Naples at moonlit night. Vesuvius by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1870](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1445/25501020393_2db0b28823_o.jpg)
![The Great Roads at Kronstadt by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1836](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1558/26037285421_86c86e6be7_o.jpg)
![The sunset on sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1848](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1446/25830801400_f9509ba72c_o.jpg)
![Smolny Convent by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1512/25501020303_4d5f651dd9_o.jpg)
![Farewell by Ivan Aivazovsky](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1574/25501020253_2c02e14945_h.jpg)
![Kerch by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1839](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1638/25498880864_c0b195dbec_h.jpg)
![The Bay of Naples in the morning by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1843](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1512/26011106162_ceefa52fa1_o.jpg)
![Russian squadron on the raid of Sevastopol by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1846](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1560/26037285101_ba6020e6ff_h.jpg)
![View of Constantinople by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1472/25498881884_942d6c1a25_o.jpg)
![The Ninth Wave by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1850](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1516/26011106002_2c97d0dc66_h.jpg)
![Ships at anchor by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1851](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1720/26011105962_78685e375c_o.jpg)
![Windmill on the Sea Coast by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1851](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1630/25830800950_1b131e9e31_o.jpg)
![Fishermen on the coast of the sea by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1852](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1713/26011105882_49ffa07a0d_o.jpg)
![Constantinople by Ivan Aivazovsky](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1665/26103634585_9f5a5d0065_o.jpg)
![Icebergs by Ivan Aivazovsky c.1860](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1608/26077701626_154c0ccf15_o.jpg)
![A Lunar night on Capri by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1841](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1601/25498880284_485bc830ac_o.jpg)
![Searching for Suvivors by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1870](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1512/26037286131_2d0e769c68_o.jpg)
![Tempest on the sea at night by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1849](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1634/26103955515_f21c4af690_o.jpg)
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Further Reading
Discover more about Ivan Aivazovsky at Wikipedia.org