Evening at Sea 

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky painted this oil on canvas with the title Evening at Sea in 18XX. Aivazovsky was a Russian-Armenian painter, who spent his life devoted to depictions of the sea. He was, in fact, attached to the Naval Staff. If we consider this biographical detail in the context of 19th century Russia, we can better understand his role. Russia was trying to establish itself as a formidable naval power, and its imperial expansion depended on successes at sea. Painters like Aivazovsky contributed to the narrative of the grandeur of the Russian navy, and so he was rewarded with institutional support. This painting also betrays the values of its time. The European imagination romanticized the sea as a theater of adventure and conquest. If we research the cultural and political context, we can understand how even a seemingly innocent seascape can contribute to the imperial project.