Paintings by Aivazovsky "Brig "Mercury" attacked by Turkish ships" and "Brig "Mercury" after the victory over two Turkish ships meets with the Ru

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky is a well-known marine painter, whose works are known all over the world. He painted incredibly realistic canvases, striking in their beauty. Aivazovsky's work "Brig" Mercury "" is unusual in that it has a continuation. The master has many canvases dedicated to the Russian Navy. Read about two paintings on this topic in the article.

About the artist

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (at birth his name was Hovhannes Ayvazyan) was born in 1817 in Feodosia. He was not only an excellent artist, but also an academician of painting and a patron of the arts. Aivazovsky was an honorary member (participant) of the Academy of Arts of the Russian Empire, as well as Rome, Amsterdam, Paris, Stuttgart and Florence.

During his life, the master wrote a huge number of works on the marine theme, but he also worked in the genrebattleism. Even during the life of the artist, his work was valued very expensively. Ivan Konstantinovich is considered the best master who depicted the sea and everything connected with it.

Aivazovsky's painting "Brig "Mercury" attacked by two Turkish ships"

This work was created by the artist in 1892. The picture depicts the battle of the brig with the Turkish ships "Real Bay" and "Selimiye". In this naval battle in the picture of Aivazovsky, the brig "Mercury" defeats the Turkish ships. This is one of the episodes of the Russian-Turkish war of the early 19th century. The events depicted in the painting took place in May 1829. Then the "Mercury", commanded by an experienced lieutenant commander A. I. Kazarsky, due to the fact that the wind was too weak, could not break away from the pursued two Turkish ships.

It should be noted that these were the largest and fastest warships in the Turkish squadron. The catastrophic situation was that there were only 18 guns on board the Mercury brig, and there were as many as 200 of them on Turkish ships.

Description of the battle

Caught in a losing situation, the officers' council decides to take the fight. It should be noted that the sailors supported him and began to act. During the battle, which lasted more than two hours, the crew of the brig managed to damage the main supports holding the mast of the Turkish ship "Real Bay" with fire from their small guns. As a result, the mast fell overboard, and the ship itself was deprivedthe ability to maneuver and, accordingly, continue the battle.

Now the position of the brig "Mercury" has become somewhat better, but there was also a second formidable opponent, surpassing it in all characteristics. The Turkish ship "Selimiye" during the battle received approximately the same damage as the "Real Bay". Its mast was also shot down by Russian cannonballs, and the second Turkish ship was also forced to stop the naval duel.

The painting by Aivazovsky shows that the brig "Mercury", as in real life, will receive extremely severe damage. By the way, as a result of the battle, four crew members died, but nevertheless he was able to emerge from this seemingly losing battle as a winner. After a triumphant victory, the ship returned to the port of Sevastopol.

Another picture "The brig "Mercury" after the victory over two Turkish ships meets with the Russian squadron"

In addition to Aivazovsky's painting "Brig "Mercury" attacked by Turkish ships", which, as mentioned above, was written in 1892, in 1848 the master created another canvas dedicated to this ship. It depicts the legendary brig heading to port. These works are very different from each other. If tension, dynamics and drama are felt in the first canvas, then calmness and tranquility can be traced on the second canvas.

Despite the difference in the plot reflected in Aivazovsky's painting "Brig" Mercury "attacked by Turkishships” and other works, both canvases are dedicated to the same ship and event. Almost all of Aivazovsky's paintings have survived to this day, and everyone can appreciate how accurately and colorfully the great master could depict not only seascapes themselves, but also battle scenes. Today, Aivazovsky's painting "Brig" Mercury attacked by Turkish ships "is in the art gallery that bears his name in Feodosia. Looking at his work, it becomes clear why Aivazovsky is considered the best marine painter.