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拍品专文
The magnificent city of Constantinople, modern-day Istanbul, has long marked the historic boundary of East and West. Founded circa 660 by the Dorian Greeks it was known as Byzantium until it became the second capital of the Roman Empire and was renamed Constantinople by Constantine I in 330 AD. Straddled over seven hills, this majestic city had withstood siege and looting by Goths, Persians, Arabs and Western Crusaders until it finally fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. During this period (1453-1923) much of the characteristic architecture of the city was built including the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Ottoman power had weakened considerably and as the 19th Century gathered pace, Britain and France viewed the loosening of the Turkish grip on the Balkans with alarm. Fear of Russia's increasing influence led to the Crimean War (1854-56), whose sea battles Aivazovskii recorded on canvas (Battle of Sinope, 1854). However, during its tumultuous history Constantinople prospered in terms of its position as the port of entry for Asia Minor and the Balkan hinterland and the Bosphorus was transformed into one of the world's busiest anchorages. Not surprisingly, the city had much allure for Russia's greatest marine painter, Ivan Aivazovskii (1817-1900).
Born in Theodosia, a bustling port on the Black Sea, Aivazovskii displayed artistic ability from an early age and later studied under the landscape artist M. N. Vorobiov at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Aivazovskii's first painting, 'Study of the Air over the Sea' (1835, State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), was well-received and led to opportunities to travel abroad and his appointment as the official artist of the Russian Navy. He quickly established a reputation for his masterful seascapes that combine a delicate tonal harmony with an almost imaginary quality.
Aivazovskii was captivated by Constantinople, once commenting, "... there is nothing more majestic than this city, here one forgets both Naples and Venice". He returned to the subject, and Constantinople itself, on many occasions. Having travelled to the city with Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and Admiral Litke in 1845 as part of a naval expedition to Asia Minor, Aivazovskii made the journey again with his brother Gabriel in 1857 and with Empress Alexandrovna in 1867. Like Tiflis, Cairo and Baku, Constantinople had a considerable Armenian population that strengthened Aivazovskii's cultural ties to the city. At the invitation of Sultan Abdülaziz in 1874, Aivazovskii returned once more to Constantinople where he was commissioned by the Sultan to paint a series of paintings depicting the Bosphorus for the Dolmabahçe Palace. Having successfully completed the commission, Aivazovskii was decorated with the second highest order of the Empire, that of the Osmanie.
Born in Theodosia, a bustling port on the Black Sea, Aivazovskii displayed artistic ability from an early age and later studied under the landscape artist M. N. Vorobiov at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Aivazovskii's first painting, 'Study of the Air over the Sea' (1835, State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), was well-received and led to opportunities to travel abroad and his appointment as the official artist of the Russian Navy. He quickly established a reputation for his masterful seascapes that combine a delicate tonal harmony with an almost imaginary quality.
Aivazovskii was captivated by Constantinople, once commenting, "... there is nothing more majestic than this city, here one forgets both Naples and Venice". He returned to the subject, and Constantinople itself, on many occasions. Having travelled to the city with Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and Admiral Litke in 1845 as part of a naval expedition to Asia Minor, Aivazovskii made the journey again with his brother Gabriel in 1857 and with Empress Alexandrovna in 1867. Like Tiflis, Cairo and Baku, Constantinople had a considerable Armenian population that strengthened Aivazovskii's cultural ties to the city. At the invitation of Sultan Abdülaziz in 1874, Aivazovskii returned once more to Constantinople where he was commissioned by the Sultan to paint a series of paintings depicting the Bosphorus for the Dolmabahçe Palace. Having successfully completed the commission, Aivazovskii was decorated with the second highest order of the Empire, that of the Osmanie.