DUSK ON THE GOLDEN HORN WITH THE BLUE MOSQUE AND CONSTANTINOPLE BEYOND

AIVAZOVSKII, A NATIVE OF THE CRIMEA, TRAVELLED TO ST PETERSBURG IN 1833 WHERE HE ENROLLED AT THE ACADEMY OF ARTS UNDER M.N. VOROB'EV AND F. TANNER. EXHIBITING FROM 1835, HE WAS AWARDED THE TITLE OF ARTIST IN 1837 AND IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR HE DEPARTED ON A FOUR YEAR SCHOLARSHIP TO ROME. DURING HIS TRAVELS HE ENCOUNTERED J.M.W. TURNER WHO, ENCHANTED BY THE WORK OF THE YOUNG RUSSIAN, COMPOSED AN ITALIAN POEM IN HIS PRAISE. IN 1847 AIVAZOVSKII WAS ELECTED PROFESSOR OF PAINTING AT THE ST PETERSBURG ACADEMY.

IN 1845, THE DATE OF THE PRESENT WORK, AIVAZOVSKII TRAVELLED THROUGH TURKEY, PROBABLY ACCOMPANIED BY A MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY WHO WAS HIS STUDENT. THE GOLDEN, CREPUSCULAR ATMOSPHERE OF THE BUSTLING GOLDEN HORN WITH THE FOREST OF MINARETS OF MID 19TH CENTURY CONSTANTINOPLE BEYOND IS HERE UNDERSCORED WITH A RUSSIAN FLAVOUR BY THE INCLUSION OF TWO PADDLE-STEAMERS OF THE RUSSIAN NAVY PROMINENT ON THE WATER, BOTH FLYING THEIR ENSIGN OF A BLUE ST ANDREW'S CROSS ON A WHITE BACKGROUND.