by 
Aivazovsky wrote the sea at any time of the day. IK Aivazovsky’s night landscapes are amazing. Among them – “Gulf of Naples in the moonlight”, “Moonlight night on Capri”, “The sea in the moonlight” and others. One of the most famous paintings by the artist on this topic – “Storm at sea at night”, written in 1848.
The artist depicted a turbulent stormy sea and a lonely ship, resisting the onslaught of the elements. Night. The moon, looking out from behind the remnants of the clouds torn by the wind, as always calmly watches what is happening. A person will not give up, thanks to his vitality and will, he will certainly win in this brutal battle with the elements.
The painting produces an amazing effect on the viewer. The sea does not seem to be frozen, dead – the seething waves replace each other absolutely naturally, and the sea seems to truly “breathe”. Standing next to the canvas, the viewer even hears the roar of the waves and feels that a real wave is about to roll on him.
The picture is distinguished by a dark, restrained color scheme. Light plays an important role in the picture. The artist accurately conveys the effects that moonlight creates on the surface of a rough sea. The moonlight, cutting through the darkness with a powerful stream, is a symbol of life and eternity, as if it announces the salvation of the ship.
The painting “Storm at sea at night” with great skill conveys the state of nature – the state of the sea, the movement of clouds. Passionate, soulful, this painting is one of the most poetic images of the sea in Russian painting of the 19th century.
Year of painting: 1849.
Dimensions of the painting: 89 x 106 cm.
Material: canvas.
Writing technique: oil.
Genre: Marina
Style: romanticism.
Gallery: Palaces-museums and parks of Petrodvorets, Peterhof, Russia.
