(Feodosia 1817–1900) Coastal Landscape with a View of Vesuvius, circa 1870–75, monogrammed A., oil on canvas, laid down on board, 19 x 27.5 cm, framed, (GG)

Provenance:
Purchased around 1900 by the great-grandmother of the current owner; thence by family descent. The owner is the offspring of an aristocratic family which left Russia after the revolution.

We are grateful to Gianni Caffiero for examining the painting in the original in June 2013 and for confirming its authenticity.

The work will be included in the upcoming catalogue raisonné being compiled by Gianni Caffiero and Ivan Samarin.

The lot depicts a serene view of Vesuvius, a lovely example of one of Aivazovsky’s Naples paintings and can be dated circa 1875-80. The tranquility of the Italian dusk is a subject to which the artist often returned. The brightness of the sky immediately draws the viewer’s eye to the striking silhouette of Vesuvius in the background. Yet it is only by looking beyond this initial focus that we notice the boat approaching from the left; in the foreground a sailing boat with sweeping, crossed spars, loose sails and three men on board, is sailing towards land.
Aivazovsky made many sketches in a tiny note book which he subsequently worked up into paintings in his studio at home. By remembering the unique Italian atmosphere he had observed, the artist was able to recreate the same intense and warm Italian colours whilst working in his studio.

During his long life Aivazovsky enjoyed the patronage of both the Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz I and Russian Tsar Nicholas I. At least thirty of his works hang in the Dolmabahce museum, the Ottoman Imperial museum.

He established a certain reputation for his masterful seascapes which combine a delicate tonal harmony with an almost imaginary quality. He raised marine painting to a new level.

With his roots deep in European culture, Aivazovsky was also held in high esteem abroad and received numerous international honours.