Lot 3222* - A216 19th Century Paintings - Friday, 27. March 2026, 04.00 PM
IVAN KONSTANTINOVICH AIVAZOVSKY
(1817 Feodosija 1900)
Sailing Ships off a Coast. Circa 1880.
Oil on canvas.
Lower right with remains of a later signature.
28 × 37 cm.
Certificate:
Provenance:
This striking composition by Aivazovsky, in which the master of marine painting depicts a fleet formation of sailing ships aligned one behind the other as a salute is fired, is exceedingly rare within the artist’s overall oeuvre and accordingly represents an absolute rarity on the art market. The painting was most likely executed in the 1880s, a period during which Aivazovsky produced works of particularly high quality – a fact clearly evident in the refined painterly execution of the vessels and the exceptionally precise rendering of the rigging. Equally masterful is Aivazovsky’s use of the vanishing point to stage the convoy of ships with great monumentality and to emphasise the sheer scale of the fleet depicted, underscoring the artist’s consummate command of composition and perspective. The present work revisits the composition of a painting from 1839, now held in the Samara Art Museum.
The painting also illustrates a central aspect of Aivazovsky’s artistic identity, closely bound up with the Imperial Russian Navy. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to marine painting, Tsar Nicholas I (1796–1855) appointed him official painter to the Imperial Navy – a position that also entitled him to wear the uniform of the Tsarist naval forces.
The painting also illustrates a central aspect of Aivazovsky’s artistic identity, closely bound up with the Imperial Russian Navy. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to marine painting, Tsar Nicholas I (1796–1855) appointed him official painter to the Imperial Navy – a position that also entitled him to wear the uniform of the Tsarist naval forces.
CHF 80 000 / 120 000 | (€ 82 470 / 123 710)
Sold for CHF 300 000 (including buyer’s premium)
All information is subject to change.