Hovhannes Aivazovsky’s works at int’l auctionsWhen the priceless is sold. Part II The canvases by Armenian-born maritime artist Hovhannes (Ivan) Aivazovsky have always been in demand at international auctions, fetching millions of dollars. PAN presents the most expensive paintings by the great master. May 26, 2016 PanARMENIAN.Net - The Arrival of Columbus' Flotilla, 1880, was sold at Sotheby’s for $1,665,000 in April 2008. The canvas was exhibited at The World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Describing the painting, the auction house said that the artist captures with drama and majesty the arrival of the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria to American shores. Aivazovsky's palette captures the early morning light with stunning effect, softly and slowly illuminating the composition, as if bringing the scene to life before the viewer's eyes. In this way, this masterpiece creates an eloquent metaphor of a world in its first moment of discovery, untarnished, a future without limits.
The Arrival of Columbus' Flotilla St. Isaac’s Cathedral on a Cold Day, 1981, sold at Christie's for £1,125,000 in 2004.
St. Isaac’s Cathedral on a Cold Day The painting of Saint Petersburg’s biggest cathedral was the most expensive Aivazovsky's work sold before 2007, when American Shipping off the Rock of Gibraltar, 1873, fetched £2,700,000. It’s noteworthy that Aivazovasky depicted an American ship crossing the waters of the Mediterranean 30 years after he visited the scene, reproducing it with his genius imagination.
American Shipping off the Rock of Gibraltar View of Constantinople, 1852, sold at Christie’s for £1,63 million in November 2006.
View of Constantinople The Varangians on the Dnieper, 1876, sold at Christie’s for £1,7 million.
The Varangians on the Dnieper Distributing Supplies and The Relief Ship, 1892, were sold at Sotheby’s for $2,393 million in April 2008. In Distributing Supplies, Aivazovsky depicts the delivery of provisions to his birthplace of Feodosiya, a port city on the Black Sea. In The Relief Ship, Aivazovsky illustrates what may be the arrival of W.C. Edgar, editor of The Northwestern Miller, to Petersburg in the spring of 1892, and he depicts the approaching steamship with two flags—the Russian Navy flag and the American Stars and Stripes—as a gesture of Russo-American solidarity.
Distributing Supplies On January 9, 1893, Ivan Aivazovsky presented these two paintings—The Relief Ship and Distributing Supplies—as a gift to the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C., which was then widely considered the equivalent of a national museum.
The Relief Ship View of Constantinople and the Bosporus, 1856, sold to an anonymous buyer for a record price of £3,233 million (estimate £1,2-1,8 million) on April 24, 2012.
View of Constantinople and the Bosporus The other works by Hovhannes Aivazovsky sold at prestigious auction houses were: Galata Tower by Moonlight, 1845 (£825,250); Shepherds with their Flock at Sunset, 1859 (£657,250); Sunset over Ischia, 1857 (£623,650); Storm over the Black Sea, 1893 (£341,000); Winter Landscape, 1876 (£277,000); Gibraltar by Night, 1844 (£385,000). Besides, according to some sources, current President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko bought Aivazovsky’s Constantinople at Down painting at Sotheby’s for $1,8 million to gift it to then-President Viktor Yanukovych. Samson Hovhannisyan / PanARMENIAN.Net Most popular in the section The Oscar-winning helmer who hopes to return to Armenia many, many times ICAE2018 proves a success Telling a story in a single image Chance to have another dream More articles in this section The other side of music Instrumental injuries How Indians turned into Armenian Gypsies Law-abiding and peace-loving Armenian Renaissance Ahead of Europe | India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan “progress” The EU has welcomed “progress” made in the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process. Belarus opposition leader slams Lukashenko for Karabakh trip Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has harshly criticized the visit of Lukashenko to Karabakh. Mkhitaryan raises arrest of former Karabakh leaders in Azerbaijan Inter Milan star Henrikh Mkhitaryan has shared a news story about the extension of the arrest of former Karabakh leaders. |