Walking on water

Ivan Aivazovsky • Painting, 1888
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About the artwork
Art form: Painting
Subject and objects: Religious scene
Style of art: Romanticism
Technique: Oil
Materials: Canvas
Date of creation: 1888
Artwork in selections: 26 selections

Description of the artwork «Walking on water»

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky — a brilliant marine painter, and from this side he is most famous in the world. However, in his works he often turned to other sources of inspiration. From a huge, numbering more than six thousand works of the creative heritage of the great masters of many paintings are devoted to religious subjects. For example, Aivazovsky painting "Walking on water", which is the basis for the story of the New Testament, has several options.

Religion was an important part of life a deeply religious painter, but even when creating masterpieces on biblical themes, he did not change his main vocation — master image of water. On almost every canvas he tried to portray the surface of the water or the surging waves if it was justified by the plot. Often they play a large part of the canvas, even if it doesn't match the title.

Description of a picture of Ayvazovsky "Walking on water"

In the case of this work of the great artist depicted on canvas sea waves are the plot center. The attention of the audience immediately catches the figure of Christ, illuminating all around. Dazzling effulgence bright flare falls on the water surface, the faces of the people in the boat and the figure of the Apostle Peter, holding out his hands to the Savior. The movement of waves, is depicted very naturalistic, emphasizes the staggering reality of the situation and creates the effect of presence for the audience. Vitality adds an image flowing with oars and clothing of Peter the streams of water — one of the most common techniques in the paintings of the masters.

The figure of Christ as the semantic and compositional center of the work, Aivazovsky worked out most carefully. Face, hands, folds of clothing, the feet movement is depicted as much detail as possible. In addition, this part of the picture coloristic most dynamic: the author uses a wide palette of colors. The figures of the other characters in the movie, despite the fact that they are in the foreground, barely outlined, face drawn without much detail. For their image the painter used dark colors. All of this is a reflection of the artist's creative method, the essence of which — in order to show the main, hiding minor details.

The Aivazovsky's painting "Walking on water" story focuses on Christ, miraculously moving across the waves. Everything else depicted on canvas, was created as a Supplement that support the main idea. The painter adhered to the method, when the secondary characters and part of the work studied only to the extent that they contribute to the maintenance of the semantic centre. This technique, mastered by Aivazovsky at the very beginning of his career, to some extent, allowed the artist to control the audience's attention, forcing them to follow his own thought and idea.
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