Description of the painting by Ivan Aivazovsky “Big Raid in Kronstadt”

Description of the painting by Ivan Aivazovsky Big Raid in Kronstadt

The painting, written by Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky in 1836, is currently stored in the State Russian Museum, in St. Petersburg. The artist’s picturesque marina depicts the Kronstadt seaport. The stormy sky hanging menacingly over the Gulf of Finland in the background of the picture inspires a feeling of anxiety, but the blue of the sky above the large warship at the pier balances the plot of the picture.

The troubled creek water rises above the coastal line. The townspeople, withstanding the gusts of wind, went to the embankment to see the raid of the fleet with their own eyes. It is known that for many years Kronstadt was inaccessible to ordinary citizens, being the main base of the navy of the Russian Empire. Of course, trips to the city were made for excursions and walks, but in most cases it was possible to get to Kronstadt only by using the invitation of one of the citizens.

The island of Kotin, on which this sea city is located, seems to be carried away by an island in the endless expanse of the Gulf of Finland, the silence and desolation of the city is noticeable on the picturesque canvas of Aivazovsky. For an artist, writing a marina in Kronstadt was a genuine pleasure – in peace and quiet, enjoying only your favorite view. It was under the impression from visiting the summer academic corps of the Navy that Ivan Konstantinovich painted the Big Raid in Kronstadt.

The painting is one of the first works of the artist, which was highly appreciated by the artistic community. After writing his early marines, Aivazovsky was finally established in this painting genre, each time more and more perfecting himself in the mastery of the artist. Marina “The Great Raid in Kronstadt” was presented as an exemplary work at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.


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Description of the painting by Ivan Aivazovsky “Big Raid in Kronstadt”