ART ANALYSIS OF THE NINTH WAVE BY IVAN AIVAZOVSKY
History of The Piece
The Ninth Wave was painted in 1850 by Ivan Aivazovsky, a Russian Armenian marine artist. Ivan painted this piece in Petersburg, Russia representing the threatening waves that are approaching what's left of a shipwreck and its survivors, portraying the title of the piece as from an ancient sailing expression noting the large sizes of each wave.
Art Elements
Color
Ivan uses colors that give off both a warming and cooling mood when audiences observe the piece. There's a contrast between the dark colors of the water, presenting a tragic situation, and the colors that Ivan used for the sky. It can be seen that color is used as a light in the piece, indicating that there's hope for survival.
Tone
Ivan uses tone to create a dramatic environment and depth and distance for this piece. There are many counterchanges of colors that Ivan used to increase the dramatic environment. As the colors of the waves become faint, it helps the audience recognize the distance from one point to another.
Texture
The piece includes the texture of waves, clouds, and objects (survivors). Ivan uses different shading to increase depth. Each specific brushstroke is also verisimilitude, making the piece appear real, especially the waves.
My Analysis
I like seascape pieces and this one caught my attention because it gave off two different emotions when I first looked at it. Depending on your perspective, the piece can give off a dramatic and tragic feeling. On the other hand, the piece can give off a calm feeling because of the color that's used as light.
Sources
“‘The Ninth Wave’ by Ivan Aivazovsky.” Daily Dose of Art, 2 Dec. 2022, www.myddoa.com/the-ninth-wave-by-ivan-aivazovsky/.
Shoshone. “The Ninth Wave [Ivan Aivazovsky].” Sartle, 9 Nov. 2022, www.sartle.com/artwork/the-ninth-wave-ivan-aivazovsky.
This piece gives me feelings of doom and hope at the same time. The dark water gives me a sinking feeling, but the sunlight makes me believe in the possibility of survival. I've not been shipwrecked like that, but I've been on the water when I shouldn't have been, sometimes because of my own decisions and sometimes because someone else was at the wheel, on sunny days with plain wind and dark stormy days as well. Even when the wind is ripping water off the curls atop the waves and blowing it in your face on those sunny days, it just doesn't feel as bad as the dark gloomy days where the clouds reach down to the whitecaps, and you can taste the brackish water the results from rain and seawater mixing on your windblown face.
ReplyDeleteThe use of tone and color really does throw you both directions; hope and despair.
This piece makes me think of how they are sailing out of hopelessness into the light of survival. I like how to artist used different shades of color, that can be looked at as hopelessness or hopeful. The waves are immense in the painting, which gives me a feeling of panic. The light shining gives me hope that a calmer day is approaching. Overall, I like this painting.
ReplyDeleteThis piece feels very ominous to me. It is so beautiful, but terrifying at the same time. I think your analysis of the colors is very accurate and I agree that the warm/light colors are heavily contrasted with the cool/darker colors.
ReplyDeleteI really resonate with your analysis. I also like seascape pieces and felt the same way when looking at this piece. Thank you for sharing it!!
Never seen this painting before. I find the texture and tone very impressive especially for the time at which the painting was made. I think it's a very nice piece and you can feel the water and nature in the piece. It is very realistic. Thanks for sharing.
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