Tempest. Shipwreck of the foreign ship 1855

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky painted “Tempest. Shipwreck of the foreign ship” sometime in the 19th century, using oil. It is typical of his dramatic seascapes. Born in the Crimea, Aivazovsky spent his career as the main painter for the Russian Navy. As such, his work embodies a particular institution: the imperial Russian state. This painting needs to be understood in the context of the empire’s ambitions to expand its territories across the seas, as well as its involvement in numerous naval conflicts. The tempest represents the immense and uncontrollable power of nature. This drama also reflects the constant threat to the political status quo experienced by authoritarian regimes, such as the Russian empire. To fully understand this painting, historians would analyze the social and political conditions in 19th century Russia and study the institutional history of Russian art. Art always reflects a specific social context.