Painting "Rainbow" by Aivazovsky: a new palette of the sea landscape

Marina as a separate genre of landscape painting finally took shape in Russian art in the XIX century, during the heyday of Ivan Aivazovsky's works, which is not surprising, since he is still considered one of the greatest seascapes in the world art. The painting "Rainbow" by Aivazovsky is a striking example of an amazing sea landscape.

Landscapes-marina in Russian painting

Despite the uniqueness and world recognition, in the early works of Aivazovsky felt the influence of the first Russian landscape painters, the founders of the genre - S. Shchedrin and M. Vorobyov , whose rare seascapes combined the classical technique of academic painting with fresh ideas of romanticism.

The early work of Aivazovsky is almost entirely devoted to the sea element. The young artist painted romantic landscapes with delight and admiration. One of the reasons for the romantic emotionality of the artist was that Aivazovsky did not consider it possible to write the sea from nature. All that the painter depicted on his canvases is memories and fruits of imagination.

Yet behind the seething romanticism in the first paintings of Aivazovsky, one can see the desire to study the sea element in all its possible hypostases. In the later canvases, the mastery and innate sense of the creator's measure curb romantic admiration, and the viewer is presented by the works of an adult, skilful artist who knows his business and his image. The painting "Rainbow" by Aivazovsky represents a new stage not only in the artist's work, but also in the genre of the Russian seascape. Working on this canvas, the master began to use the usual bright colors in a completely different manner.

Creativity Aivazovsky paved the way to the genre of the marina for such landscape painters as Lagorio, Bogolyubov and Kuindzhi.

Ivan Aivazovsky

Biography of the artist is almost a fairy story. Aivazovsky was the son of an impoverished merchant, but he won his recognition with talent and skill among domestic and world painters and became the founder of the marina in the Russian fine arts.

From early childhood, showing a craving for drawing, Aivazovsky drew the attention of the architect of his native city - Theodosia. The future artist received from him not only support and parting words, but also material assistance - art supplies and the first drawing lessons.

After graduating from the Simferopol Gymnasium, Aivazovsky entered the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. In the fourth year of his studies, he was awarded the gold medal of the Academy, which allowed the young artist to go abroad as a scholarship student. A few years, Aivazovsky spent in Italy, where he became famous for his seascapes.

The history of the painting "Rainbow"

It is generally believed that Aivazovsky's best works were created in the early period of his work. Such paintings as "The Ninth Wave", "Moonlight Night" and "Storm on the Sea at Night" are considered the peak of the seascape's career - the artist created landscapes unique in terms of brightness and richness of the plot line.

In the early 70-ies of the XIX century to the artist flew a lot of critical statements about the monotony and artificiality of his paintings. The painting "Rainbow" was the answer to criticism. The opinion of contemporaries about the painting by Aivazovsky "Rainbow" is not uniform; Almost all noted the uniqueness of the color range and the realism of the canvas, but there were those who continued to reproach the artist for the fictitiousness of his landscapes.

The author has always said that the sea can not be written from nature, so the share of contrariness in the seascapes of Aivazovsky is always, because the pictures are the fruit of the artist's imagination. However, the "Rainbow" is distinguished by the realism of the color palette and the fineness of the selected shades that make the drops of sea foam almost transparent, thereby making the rainbow almost invisible.

Aivazovsky, "Rainbow" description of the picture and its plot

The plot of "Rainbow" is not new for Aivazovsky's work. The author chose for the picture a familiar, almost beaten object of the image - a sea storm. Like all canvases of the seascape, the painting "Rainbow" by Aivazovsky depicts a shipwreck "from the first person" - as if the author himself was on a sinking ship.

The picture is filled with fuzzy, vague outlines. The rocky coast and the ship itself, which crashes, are lost in waves and high sea foam. In the foreground of the picture is a boat with sailors trying to avoid death. People peer into the distance of the ocean, trying to see the safe place for the berth, but high waves and a stormy wind whip the boat and prevent sailors from identifying and retaining the direction.

Due to the rainbow spectrum, the picture, despite the tragic plot, does not seem heavy and depressing. Characteristic for Aivazovsky's play with light on this canvas creates an ideal rainbow circle that fulfills the plot role of the "good omen", promising the seafarers in distress safe harbor.

Analysis of the painting by Aivazovsky "Rainbow" and its coloring palette

In an attempt to find a new technique for the picturesque depiction of the sea and its various hypostases, the painter-maritime artist moved to a new, lighter and more realistic palette.

The painting "Rainbow" by Aivazovsky is one of a series of paintings made in a new color scheme for him. The artist uses the inherent bright colors - yellow, purple, purple and fiery orange, while not losing realism and transparency of the landscape.

The paintings "Rainbow", "In The Storm", "Marina", as well as some canvases written in the 80s of the XIX century, like embroidered with thin lines of bright colors. Incredible shades dissolve in salty sea air, while creating clean, light and airy landscapes in which the sea looks extremely real and at the same time fabulously bright.