I love that first painting, the light going through that wave in the foreground and the contrasting blue in the further back waves... stunning. Aivazovsky was immensely talented, thank you for this post sharing about him and his art!
Thanks so much for this lovely piece on Aivazovsky. The paintings are stunning. It really is all about the light and the contrast. It’s heartening to see that Aivazovsky is held in such high regard in Ukraine, Russia and Armenia.
Yes, Armenia, Ukraine and Russia all claim him as their own. He lived in all three countries and is Armenia ethnicity. He lived in Crimea, so obviously Russia and Ukraine both consider that their territory.
Yes, there’s been a fair bit of dispute over his cultural identity! Zelensky’s predecessor Poroshenko claimed Aivazovsky for Ukraine back in 2017; the Russians responded by accusing Ukraine of cultural appropriation. It’d be interesting to see which country - Ukraine, Russia or Armenia - Aivazovsky would most identify with, were he alive today.
I love that first painting, the light going through that wave in the foreground and the contrasting blue in the further back waves... stunning. Aivazovsky was immensely talented, thank you for this post sharing about him and his art!
Thanks so much for this lovely piece on Aivazovsky. The paintings are stunning. It really is all about the light and the contrast. It’s heartening to see that Aivazovsky is held in such high regard in Ukraine, Russia and Armenia.
Yes, Armenia, Ukraine and Russia all claim him as their own. He lived in all three countries and is Armenia ethnicity. He lived in Crimea, so obviously Russia and Ukraine both consider that their territory.
Yes, there’s been a fair bit of dispute over his cultural identity! Zelensky’s predecessor Poroshenko claimed Aivazovsky for Ukraine back in 2017; the Russians responded by accusing Ukraine of cultural appropriation. It’d be interesting to see which country - Ukraine, Russia or Armenia - Aivazovsky would most identify with, were he alive today.