Bidspirit auction | Attributed to Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900)

Attributed to Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900) - Feodosia Bay in the Moonlight, c.1880 - Oil on canvas, 67.5 x 95 cm (unframed), 82 x 109 cm (framed). This impressive painting from the Russian school, painted around 1880, presents several variants of the work Aivazovsky produced in 1875 (sold by Christie's in 2008). The scene takes place in Feodosia, southern Crimea, by the light of a full moon. Traces of an illegible signature can be seen at the bottom left. Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, born on 17 July 1817 in Feodosia, was noted from an early age for his talents in languages, music and drawing. At the age of 16 he was admitted to the Russian Academy of Arts in St Petersburg, specialising in seascape painting, a passion that arose after taking part in training with the Russian naval fleet. In 1839 he won his first gold medal, and although he had the opportunity to study in Rome, he preferred to return to Feodosia to perfect his technique. Later, in Rome, his work The Bay of Naples in the Moonlight was praised by J.M.W. Turner. Aivazovsky travelled around Europe, taking part in exhibitions such as the Paris Salon, where he received another gold medal and the Legion of Honour in 1857. Provenance: French private collection.