The Black Sea at night 

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, a celebrated 19th-century Russian-Armenian painter, rendered the dramatic seascape, The Black Sea at Night, using oil on canvas. Aivazovsky, who was the Russian Empire’s principal marine painter, was born in the Crimea, a region with a complex history marked by political and cultural intersections. As an artist with Armenian roots in a Russian empire, Aivazovsky navigated a delicate intersection of identities. His seascapes often evoke a sense of romantic heroism and the sublime, reflecting the imperial ambitions of Russia. The tumultuous waves and foreboding sky capture the raw power and unpredictability of nature, and the emotional intensity of the painting resonates with the cultural fascination of the period for both the beauty and terror of the sea. Aivazovsky once said, "I am not a romantic, I am a realist." Yet, it's hard to miss the romantic undertones in his dramatic seascapes. This painting invites us to reflect on the historical context of empire and identity, and the deeply personal relationship between the artist and the sea.