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The battle of Chesme on the night of 25/26 June 1770

Ivan Aivazovsky • Painting, 1848, 220×188 cm
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About the artwork
Art form: Painting
Subject and objects: Marina, Battle scene
Style of art: Romanticism
Technique: Oil
Materials: Canvas
Date of creation: 1848
Size: 220×188 cm
Artwork in selections: 142 selections

Description of the artwork «The battle of Chesme on the night of 25/26 June 1770»

Chesme battle took place in 1770, is one of the most heroic for the Russian side of the battles of the Russo-Turkish war of 1768-1774. In the night from 25 to 26 June, 26 Russian warships went to attack the superior of them quantitatively Turkish court had 63. The Russians locked the Turks in Chesme Bay and smashed to pieces. Count Orlov in the morning wrote in his report: "The enemy's fleet, attacked, broke, broke, burned, the sky empty, the ashes drew... and themselves began to be in the archipelago with the mainstream..."

In 1844, returned from Europe Aivazovsky was appointed the official painter of the Navy. He ordered the Russian ports, in parallel he became interested in historical battle painting.

The glow of the fire, at first glance, the painting of Ivan Aivazovsky "Chesmensky fight"it may seem some fireworks, but, looking closely, we understand that the depicted fight night. In the depths of the Bay are visible the burning Turkish ships, one of them was captured directly during the explosion, fragments of it fly into the air. These fragments, together with flashes of flame and puffs of smoke really like fireworks, commemorates the victory. For the scattered pieces of the ship trying to seize the Turkish sailors. Right in the painting of Ivan Aivazovsky "Chesmensky battle" we see the boat approaching the Russian flagship. The boat of Lieutenant Ilyin, who blew up that only among the enemy's ships your Brander – crammed with explosives and ammunition ship, performing the role of naval bombers.

Interesting color palette of a picture of Ayvazovsky "Chesmensky battle" due to the contrast of the hot, blazing colors, which depicts a battle at sea, and cold, gloomy tones of the moonlit sky.

In his battle paintings Ivan Konstantinovich very careful approach to detail, not consulting with artists, and listening carefully to the recommendations of admirals and sailors. In the Navy "the" the artist liked, and even in 1846, when Aivazovsky celebrated the tenth anniversary of its activities in Feodosia to welcome him came a squadron under the command of Admiral Kornilov.

Author: Alain Esaulova
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