My prior Art posts can be found HERE.
How do we move away from being a civilization that produces art that causes comments like, “my five year old could make this,” back to being one that creates beauty and inspires deep questions? We must reject modernity and embrace tradition. To embrace tradition, we must first learn about it..
Let’s study art history together.
The Ninth Wave
| Artist | Ivan Aivazovsky |
|---|---|
| Year | 1850 |
| Medium | Oil-on-canvas |
| Dimensions | 221 cm × 332 cm (87 in × 131 in) |
| Location | State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg |
This is an incredible work of art, both highly realistic and captivating. I love the way that the light’s reflection lightens the scene and provides visual clarity to the devastating situation. The effect of the light reflecting off the waves is beautiful. The piece simultaneously gives a sense of hope while showing just how dire this situation has become for the people in the foreground. Large waves remain. Yet the parting of the clouds indicate that perhaps the worst has now passed.
Upon a closer examination, the debris upon which the people are clinging is in the shape of a cross. The presence of debris implies perhaps that there are some, or many, who did not survive. Will these remaining few be saved? Is the artist making a case that we are all in that situation, with doom coming for all of us who do not cling to the life-giving cross? Why is this piece titled, The Ninth Wave?
(More via wiki)
The Ninth Wave (Russian: Девятый вал, Dyevyatiy val) is an 1850 painting by Russian marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky. It is his best-known work.
The title refers to an old sailing expression referring to a wave of incredible size that comes after a succession of incrementally larger waves.
It depicts a sea after a night storm and people facing death attempting to save themselves by clinging to debris from a wrecked ship. The debris, in the shape of the cross, appears to be a Christian metaphor for salvation from the earthly sin. The painting has warm tones, which reduce the sea’s apparent menacing overtones and a chance for the people to survive seems plausible. This painting shows both the destructiveness and beauty of nature.
For an excellent review of the painting, I direct you to the short video below:
The video below is a great overview of Aivazovsky’s style and career:
