IVAN AIVAZOVSKY (1817-1900)
Ai-Petri (1,234.2 m - 4,049 ft)
Crimea - Russia
In Pushkin at Ai-Petri Peak during sunrise, watercolour
The mountain
Ai-Petri (1,234.2 m - 4,049 ft) meaning Saint Peter in Greek, is a peak in the Crimean Mountains. For administrative purposes it is in the Yalta municipality of Crimea. Ai-Petri is one of the windiest places in Crimea. The wind blows for 125 days a year, reaching a speed of 50 m/s (110 mph). The peak is located above the city of Alupka and the town of Koreiz. There is a cable car that takes passengers from a station near Alupka to the main area in Ai-Petri.
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The painter
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (Ива́н Константи́нович Айвазо́вский) was a Russian Romantic painter. Despite he is considered one of the greatest marine artists in history, he painted a few mountains landscapes. Aivazovsky was born into an Armenian family in the Black Sea port of Feodosia and was mostly based in his native Crimea. Following his education at the Imperial Academy of Arts, Aivazovsky traveled to Europe and lived briefly in Italy in the early 1840s. He then returned to Russia and was appointed the main painter of the Russian Navy. Aivazovsky had close ties with the military and political elite of the Russian Empire and often attended military maneuvers. He was sponsored by the state and was well-regarded during his lifetime. The saying "worthy of Aivazovsky's brush", popularized by Anton Chekhov, was used in Russia for "describing something ineffably lovely." One of the most prominent Russian artists of his time, Aivazovsky was also popular outside Russia. He held numerous solo exhibitions in Europe and the United States. During his almost 60-year career, he created around 6,000 paintings, making him one of the most prolific artists of his time. The vast majority of his works are seascapes, but he often depicted battle scenes, Armenian themes, and portraiture. Most of Aivazovsky's works are kept in Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian museums as well as private collections.
2018 - Wandering Vertexes...
by Francis Rousseau