Ship on Stormy Seas (1850s) was painted by Russian-Armenian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900).

It’s a typical work by Aivazovsky, who created thousands of seascapes during his life. But compared to his average work, it is pretty small, measuring only 20.5 x 28.5 cm. Yet everything is painted with great precision. Just look at the illuminated waves, the cloudy sky, and the boat.

Aivazovsky traveled a lot during his life, constantly finding new inspiration for his seascapes. He knew the sea so well that he could paint it without observing it. He specially loved to capture the waves and the interplay between the light and the water.

 Those are some spectacular waves. Ship on Stormy Seas

Which of the three moonlight scenes I posted today do you like most?

Moonlight in Naples (1842) was painted by the Russian-Armenian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900).

This moonlit scene is painted by the best-known of the three artists today. Aivazovsky was a true specialist in capturing the sea. He created thousands of seascape paintings, and often didn’t even need to study the sea in detail anymore to create accurate water surfaces and the reflection of light on it.

Aivazovsky traveled frequently across Russia, Europe, and the Middle East to capture the most beautiful seascapes and landscapes. But the Bay of Naples had a special place in his heart, due to the spectacular landscape around it, including Mount Vesuvius.

When posting paintings on this account over time, I noticed that many of you enjoy the moonlit scenes a lot. So, I wanted to create a little comparison of some moonlight paintings by posting three different works by three different artists today. I am curious to hear which one, if any, is your favorite.

 Which of the three moonlight scenes I posted today do you

At the School Doors (1897) by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky (1868-1945) shows a poor peasant thinking about whether he should enter the classroom.

I just released a video discussing this emotional work (see the link in my bio). It discusses the major question that this work triggers. Is the poor boy just longingly looking inside at the boys who do have the opportunity to attend school, hoping that one day he may be one of them? Or is this his first day of school, and is he just taking a moment to consider whether he belongs there.

The painting contains some clues as to what is going through his mind. But it is the lifestory of the artist that really helps us to understand the answer.

I posted this work a couple of weeks ago as well, and as I received so many responses from you about it (thanks!), I decided to dig a bit deeper and make a video. Do you like this type of video or would you like to see another kind of video? I'd love to hear from you in the comments here or below the YouTube video.

 Will he step inside? At the School Doors (1897) by Nikolay

The dramatic ending of an impostor who laid claim to the Russian throne.

Princess Tarakanova (1864) by Konstantin Flavitsky shows the legend on how a pretender to the Russian throne was killed by a flood in 1777.

During her life, she introduced herself under various names like Knyazhna Yelizaveta Vladimirskaya (Princess of Vladimir), Fräulein Frank, and Madame Trémouille. She claimed that she grew up in St. Petersburg as the daughter of Empress Elizabeth and Alexei Razumovsky and she laid claim to the Russian throne during the reign of Catherine the Great.

But her real identity was (and is still) unknown. She was eventually arrested in Livorno, Tuscany, and she was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, where she died of tuberculosis in December 1775.

However, after her (supposed) death, several alternative stories about her life became popular, including the one depicted here which states that she died in the Peter and Paul Fortress during the flood of 1777.

Another popular story is that her death was faked and that she was forced to become a nun, who lived until 1810.

Final fun fact: the name Princess Tarakanova was only given to her after her life, and tarakan is the Russian word for cockroach.

 The dramatic ending of an impostor who laid claim to the

Portrait of Fyodor Dostoevsky (1872) was painted by the Russian artist Vasily Perov (1832-1884).

Sometimes written as Fedor Dostoyevsky, he was a famous Russian writer, philosopher, and journalist. He is famous for the psychological depth in his writings. In the context of the turbulence of 19th-century Russia, he wrote about the religious, psychological, and philosophical issues that kept people busy. He dealt with serious themes such as human manipulation, morality, poverty, and suicide.

Some of his best-known works include Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and Demons (1872). And as many great writers and artists, his life was not without turbulence, including a gambling addiction, a death sentence which was turned into a Siberian exile at the last moment, poor health, and financial problems. But maybe all those experiences made him into the great writer he was.

 Can you guess what his profession is? Portrait of Fyodor

Girl in the Kokoshnik was painted by Sophia Kramskaya (1866-1933).

A kokoshnik is a traditional Russian headdress that already existed a 1000 years ago. They come in many variations, but they are often adorned with pearls, gemstones, embroidery or gold decorations.

The kokoshnik was worn by members from all different classes, ranging from a princess to a peasant. However, there would obviously be a difference in the quality and fashion of the headdress among these groups. And while we don't know the identity of the woman here, we can safely conclude that she is part of a wealthy family by looking at her headdress and matching outfit.

Sophia Kramskaya was the daughter of the successful Russian artist Ivan Kramskoi (1837-1887), a brilliant portraitist.

 Russian fashion. Girl in the Kokoshnik was painted by

Few people understood the secrets of the sea better than Ivan Aivazovsky.

Ship Amid the Stormy Sea (1887) is one of several thousand paintings Aivazovsky (1817-1900) made of the sea and the waves.

Growing up at the coast of the Black Sea, Aivazovsky saw many seas during his life and painted even more of them. He traveled an awful lot, with constant trips throughout Russia, Asia Minor, the Mediterranean, and even the United States (he visited the Niagara Falls in 1892).

In the meanwhile, he remained incredibly productive and more than 6,000 paintings of him are known. That means that during his active career, he finished about 100 paintings each year. It helped that he was very talented and had a brilliant memory, allowing him to paint many of his works largely from memory, without extensively sitting at the sea to observe the ideal circumstances for his painting.

 Few people understood the secrets of the sea better than

Inok (1897) by the Russian artist Konstantin Savitsky (1844-1907) shows a monk who seems to struggle with the question whether he made the right choice in his life.

Dressed in a dark robe, the monk is seated in his cell. His elbow leans on a bible and he holds a prayer rope (called a chotki) in his right hand. Behind him is a cross, and the vase with willow branches may refer to Palm Sunday.

The monk has chosen to dedicate his life to God and the Church, but maybe he is reconsidering his choice. Sitting there alone in his cell, he may think about all the things that he could have done if he would have chosen to stay out of the monastery.

 What is going through his mind? Inok (1897) by the Russian

Tamara and Demon (1890) was painted by the successful and versatile Russian artist Mikhail Vrubel (1856-1910).

Just like the previous painting by Konstantin Makovsky I posted earlier today, it is based on a poem written by Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841). But unlike Makovsky’s painting, this one is in black and white, creating a more mysterious atmosphere.

The poem deals with a hopeless and troubled demon wandering the earth. He is immortal and has unlimited power, but it is no use to him as he has no clear goals in mind. But then one day, he sees a beautiful princess from Georgia. Princess Tamara is dancing at her wedding when the demon spots her. He falls in love, and makes sure that her soon-to-be husband is killed.

Tamara assesses the man, but she does not see an angel or demon in him. Instead she sees a tortured soul. She gives in to his interest in her and they embrace and kiss. The kiss will prove to be fatal to Princess Tamara, and it is unclear whether Vrubel captured the moment just before or just after the kiss in this painting.

 A fatal kiss. Tamara and Demon (1890) was painted by the

There is a very emotional story behind this painting.

Troika. Apprentice Workmen Carrying Water (1866) by Vasily Perov (1834-1882) addresses the issue of child labor.

It shows three young children (ages 9 to 13) working hard in very cold weather. They are quietly doing their job, though you can see that they are suffering. The barrel of water on top of the ice sled is enormous, and it is difficult to pull it up the hill. The whole setting adds to the melancholic feeling, including the gloomy walls of the monastery in the back.

After Perov completed the painting, he sold it to the Tretyakov Gallery. A few years later, the mother of the boy in the center of this painting allegedly came to the house of Perov, and she mentioned that her son has recently died. She now wanted to purchase the painting with whatever little money she had. Perov explained her that he did not own the painting anymore, but instead offered her to paint a portrait of her son and present it to her as a gift.

I am not sure if it happened exactly like this, as I also read another version of the story, which was that people in the gallery where the painting hung noticed that there was one woman who visited the painting every day and stood there in tears. It appeared to be the mother of the boy in the center, and he had recently died. When Petrov heard of this, he decided to meet with her and paint a portrait of her son.

Whatever the true version of the story is, this painting has impacted many people and made them aware of the horrors of child labor.

 There is a very emotional story behind this painting

Young Boys Fishing for Minnows was painted by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky (1868-1945), a Russian artist who captured children’s activities, ranging from simple happy scenes (like this one) to scenes reflecting deeper societal issues.

The boys have taken off their pants and are fishing for some minnows, a freshwater fish that is best caught with the net. They are focused on their activity, but the bubble rings that Bogdanov-Belsky painted in an Impressionist way capture most attention here.

Later today, I will discuss another work of Bogdanov-Belsky that you may be more familiar with. That work does address the subject of education in a much more emotional painting.

 Look at those rings in the water. Young Boys Fishing for

The Rooks Have Come Back (1871) was painted by the Russian artist Alexei Savrasov (1830-1897).

It shows a flock of birds that just returned home at the beginning of spring. The trees are still bare and the snow is still on the ground, but these rooks know that the end of winter has arrived and better weather and conditions for them are immiment.

This work is considered a mood landscape (or lyrical landscape), a genre that Savrasov helped develop. And this painting is Savrasov’s most famous work.

 The birds know when the seasons change. The Rooks Have Come

Fyodor Vasilyev (1850-1873) was a Russian boy genius who died way too young.

Illumination in St. Petersburg (1869) is an example of how he was able to capture the light and atmosphere at age 19.

As I posted two earlier works of 19th-century Russian artists today, I thought it was a good idea to add a third one, albeit one that many people may not be familiar with. The main reason is that Vasilyev got tuberculosis at age 21 and died two years later, meaning that his output is limited.

But he was a real star at a young age, and was specialized in capturing "lyrical" landscapes. He had a real talent for capturing the effects of special weather situations. For example, before or after a downpour or a thunderstorm. Or the effects on nature after snow or ice starts melting.

And he earned all his short-lasting fame through hard work. He grew up as an illegitimate son in a poor family. And when his father died at age 12, he was the one who had to earn the money and at the same time arrange a form of education for himself. But he worked hard, made it all the way to the top of the art scene in Russia by age 20, and then got sick...

 Fyodor Vasilyev (1850-1873) was a Russian boy genius who

Sunset over Ischia (1873) by Ivan Aivazovsky presents a spectacular view of the island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples with a couple of boats. But it's the golden glow of the sunset and its effect on the water that makes this painting so good. Just look as those shiny, translucent waves in the foreground.

Aivazovsky painted over 6000 seascapes during his long career and traveled widely throughout Russia and the Mediterranean. He was born at the coast of the Black Sea and was very familiar with many beautiful marine landscapes. But the Gulf of Naples had a special place in his heart because of the atmosphere, and he returned there several times to capture it.

 The beauty of nature. Sunset over Ischia (1873) by Ivan

The Rainbow (1873) was painted by the Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900), arguably the best marine painter ever.

I understand that taste is subjective, and that we may all have our own preferences. But Aivazovsky understood the sea better than almost any other artist. He grew up along the coast of the Black Sea and painted about 8000 works during this life, the majority of which were seascapes.

The Rainbow is a wonderful example of mankind struggling with the forces of nature. The waves are rough, and both the small boat and the big ship are in trouble. In fact, the big boat seems to be sinking. But the subtle appearance of a rainbow (best seen on the left side of the painting) provides hope that better weather is imminent.

Another effect of the rainbow is that the sea and the sky form a beautiful symphony of colors. Aivazovsky loved to capture this interplay of the light and its environment.

 Do you see the rainbow? The Rainbow (1873) was painted by

The Meeting (1884) was painted by the Russian artist Marie Bashkirtseff.

The work shows six young working-class boys standing in a circle around an object that is difficult to identify. But there are several interesting details in the painting that may provide some additional clues. On the fence we can see the leftovers of some old advertising posters, a hanged man stick figure on the left, and on the right we see a little girl walking away.

Bashkirtseff exhibited the painting at the Paris Salon of 1884. And while she received a lot of praise for the work, both from the press and the public, she was outraged that she did not receive a medal for it. In her own words "works that are really rather poor have received prizes". It would be one of her last works as she would die later that year from tuberculosis at age 25.

The reason she was so disappointed about not getting a medal was that she knew she would die soon, and she did not want to be forgotten. So, it's a nice tribute to her to keep her work and memories alive by sharing this painting with you.

 What are they plotting? The Meeting (1884) was painted by

A Russian Beauty is a painting of an unknown girl by Alexei Harmaloff (1840-1925).

It’s one of many portrait paintings in history of which we do not know the name of the sitter. And sometimes that makes the painting more interesting and intriguing than if we would know who the sitter is.

Think, for example, of Girl with the Pearl Earring painted in 1665 by Johannes Vermeer. It is one of the most famous paintings in the world, and partly because we don’t know who the girl is. This kind of painting is called a tronie, a portrait of which the identity of the sitter purposely unknown as the artist wanted to capture a certain style and character.

This beautiful Russian young girl is also such a portrait. The artist’s identified a beautiful and somewhat mysterious person and decided to make a portrait of her, without telling us who it is. It can help us to engage with the painting and allows us to guess what kind of girl this was.

 What is she thinking of? A Russian Beauty is a painting of

Ship at Sunset off Cap Martin (1859) by Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900), a Russian/Armenian artist that created over 6,000 paintings during his career, of which most of them are seascapes.

Aivazovsky was truly the master of rendering the sea in all sorts of circumstances. Calm or rough, day or night, sunlight or moonlight? To Aivazovsky it did not matter, he did it all. And for seas all across Russia and the Mediterranean.

Aivazovsky grew up next to the Black Sea and so from a young age he became very familiar with the sea. And he painted it so often, that at some point in his career, he did not even have to look at it anymore to create the most spectacular seascapes.

This painting at the French coast sold in 2019 for over $1.5 million.

 Those waves look spectacular! Ship at Sunset off Cap Martin

Tamara and the Demon (1889) by Konstantin Makovsky (1839-1915) is based on a poem by Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841).

Lermontov started to write this Romantic poem at age 15 and continued to produce several versions of it over the next 10 years. The poem is set in the Caucasus mountains where Lermontov stayed during his exile from Moscow.

It deals with a hopeless and troubled demon wandering the earth. He is immortal and has unlimited power, but it is no use to him as he has no clear goals in mind. But then one day, he sees a beautiful princess from Georgia. Princess Tamara is dancing at her wedding when the demon spots her. He falls in love, and makes sure that her soon-to-be husband is killed.

Tamara assesses the man, but she does not see an angel or demon in him. Instead she sees a tortured soul. She gives in to his interest in her and they embrace and kiss. But the kiss proves to be fatal to her, and it is this moment that Makovsky captured in this painting. Princess Tamara will die, and the demon is left alone again, without hope of love.

 The story of a hopeless demon. Tamara and the Demon (1889)

When was the last time you felt like this young lady?

After the Masquerade (1890) was painted by the Russian artist Alexander Nikanorovich Novoskoltsev (1853-1919).

These balls were very popular in the Russian high society. And they were organized frequently. As a woman there was a chance that you were invited to dance all night long, making you feel as exhausted as this young lady.

The man obviously had a more relaxing night and is just enjoying the quietness in his own way.

In 2012, the value of this painting was estimated to be around $150,000.

 When was the last time you felt like this young lady? After

Not everybody is having fond memories of their wedding day.

The Unequal Marriage (1862) by Vasily Pukirev (1832-1890) is a painting full of interesting characters.

It's the young lady and the old man holding the candles that are about to get married. The woman realizes her fate as the priest is about to slide the ring around her finger, uniting the couple in marriage.

But just as intriguing are the wedding couple are the reactions of the people behind them. Which of the guests is your favorite?

There is the bearded young man behind the bride, looking with a stern expression at the rich old man. And the man next to him is directly staring at us, as if asking for our opinion. And then there is the woman to the left of the old man. We can barely see her face, but the way her eye is looking at the old man tells that not everybody is agreeing with his choices.

 Not everybody is having fond memories of their wedding day

Rain in an Oak Forest (1891) was painted by Ivan Shishkin (1832-1898).

Shishkin was a Russian artist who lived near Saint Petersburg where he painted many of his landscapes. His landscapes have a pretty unique feel as he searched for areas with nice trees and combined that with uncommon weather circumstances.

Shishkin belonged to a group of artists that formed the Peredvizhniki movement, and they aimed to capture the world in a more realistic way than the artists in the more common academic movement (who chose different themes and liked to idealize their paintings). Shishkin’s goal was to depict, with complete honesty, the beauty and emotion found within the Russian countryside, and this is one beautiful example.

 Can you smell the forest? Rain in an Oak Forest (1891) was

The Prisoner (1878) by Nikolai Yaroshenko shows a man in a bare prison cell looking through some of the glass blocks. Is he hopeful to get out of there soon or is there still a long time to go?

And maybe this painting gets much more interesting if we see it as an metaphor for our own lives, where many people have felt the last year that they were "locked up" in their homes. Sometimes, we may focus on that source of light, other times the darkness may be more present.

Yaroshenko (1846-1898) was a Russian artist who painted both portraits and scenes from daily life. But he is probably best known for his depictions of hardships in the Russian Empire.

 What is going through his mind? The Prisoner (1878) by

A stunning combination of art and history.

I just released a video discussing The Last Day of Pompeii (1833) by Karl Brullyov:

Pompeii was a busy harbor and luxury resort located near the shore of the Gulf of Naples. The eruption in 78 AD was a complete surprise for the Roman citizens, and the impact was devastating.

Nowadays, we know Pompeii mainly from the unique excavations, but Brullyov captured the reactions of the people of Pompeii just after the eruption started. And it is considered by many the best piece ever painted about this historical event.

I am curious to hear what your favorite element of this painting is! Let me know in the comments below or by responding to the YouTube video.

 A stunning combination of art and history. I just released

I just released a video about the spectacular story of Princess Tarakanova (1864) by Konstantin Flavitsky. You can find the link to the video in my bio.

In this painting, we can see how the desparate "princess" is trapped in her room while the water of the 1777 flood of St. Petersburg is coming in. It is only the end of an incredible story of this mysterious woman who lived a spectacular life full of tricks, lies, and bold moves.

Until today, there is so much unknown about who this woman was exactly and where she was born. She was beautiful, smart, and adventurous. She traveled through Europe taking full advantage of various lovers on her way, constantly changing her name and the story about her origins.

And then, in 1774, she came up with the story that she was the daughter of former Russian Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, and that she had the right to take the Russian trhone. The story is told in detail in the video, as well as a discussion of the contents of this beautiful painting.

And do you see the mice that keep her company on the bed?

Finally, I posted this image a couple of weeks ago, and as so many of you contacted me about this work, I decided to make a video about it. So, thanks for all the feedback!

Alupka was created by the Russian landscape painter Sergei Arsenievich Vinogradov (1869-1938).

It shows a woman enjoying the afternoon sun in Alupka, a famous resort city on the Crimean Peninsula, close to Yalta. With the beautiful view of the Black Sea ahead of her, the woman is just taking some time to relax in her rented house.

We cannot see what she is doing? Just drinking some tea, knitting, writing?

It is painted in an Impressionist style, with broad brush strokes and several blocks of distinct colors, focusing on capturing the atmosphere of this scene.

 That looks like a nice Airbnb. Alupka was created by the

Portrait of an Unknown Woman (1883) by Ivan Kramskoi (1837-1887) is one of Russia’s most popular artworks.

It shows a woman dressed in a black fur and velvet coat, leather gloves, and a fur hat. She is seated on an open carriage which is driving on the Anichkov Bridge, the oldest and most famous bridge across the Fontanka River in Saint Petersburg.

Kramskoi never revealed the identity of the woman in portrait, something that has lead to a lot of speculation. She is fashionably dressed, but her expression is a bit haughty. Is this just a snobbish member of the upper class? Or is she, as many contemporaries suggested, an immoral woman who is looking at us with a sensuous glance?

And Kramskoi liked all this speculation about her character and personality. The only thing he said about her was “Some people have said it is not known who this woman is. Is she decent, or does she sell herself? But within her is an entire epoch.”

 How would you describe her expression? Portrait of an

Woman Walking on a Forest Trail (1883) by Vasily Polenov is probably a scene that many of us can experience at some point during the year.

It was painted by the Russian landscape artist Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844-1927) who captured nature in a realistic way and was associated with the Peredvizhniki movement.

As this painting illustrates, he had the ability to capture the beauty of nature in a realistic way, yet still convey some of the magic that nature has to offer. He captures the different colors of nature, the many shapes of simple leaves, and shows how a simple walk through the forest can put us in a different world.

 The magic of nature. Woman Walking on a Forest Trail (1883)

Do they notice him? Will they let him enter?

At the School Door (1897) is an emotional and engaging painting by the Russian artist Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky (1868-1945).

A boy in ragged clothes is standing at the door of a class room. He looks inside where several boys are focused at their schoolwork. Nobody seems to notice him standing there, although if you look carefully, one boy may peek in his direction.

The big question is whether the boy is longingly looking at these boys, hoping that he can attend school one day as well? Or is he hesitant and afraid to enter the classroom? Maybe it is his first day and he does not know whether he belongs there or not?

To answer this question, we have to look at the artist’s youth. It tells us that this is probably a reflection on his own situation when he was young. Bogdanov-Belsky was the illegitimate son of a poor farmer, and one day he may have stood like the boy in the painting, unsure whether the other people would let him in to the school. Luckily, they did. His artistic talents were recognized there and he could later move from the village school to the Imperial Academy of Arts, which was the beginning of a successful career.

 Do they notice him? Will they let him enter? At the School

Battle of Chesme at Night (1848) by Ivan Aivazovsky shows the Russian-Turkish naval battle that took place on July 5-7, 1770.

It was part of the on Russo-Turkish War between 1768–1774, and Aivazovsky tried to reimagine this scene under a moonlit sky. During this battle, the Russian used some so-called fire-ships, which were small vessels intended to put the enemy ships on fire. One of those ships could reach the Turkish fleet, and you can see the result here.

Aivazovsky was specialized in seascapes and painted his fair share of battle scenes. But he created many more paintings (literally thousands) in which he focused on capturing the state of the sea and its waves under different weather conditions. He was a true master in capturing the sea and was a professor of seascape painting during his life. And you can still see that in some of the waves he painted in this work.

 The horror of a battle scene. Battle of Chesme at Night

Isn't your wedding day supposed to be the best day of your life?

I just released a video about The Unequal Marriage (1862) by Vasily Pukirev, a dramatic scene full of intriguing characters. You can find the link to the video in my bio.

A sad bride, an old groom, two ex-wives, a self-portrait of the artist as the best man, and a man looking straight at us asking what we think of this scene. These are some of the main ingredients of this captivating Russian artwork.

In the video, the different elements and the context are discussed in more detail. And as with many great paintings, there is plenty of room left for speculation.

I'd love to hear what you think of this painting and if I missed any interesting aspects! Just leave a comment below or below the YouTube video.

 Isn't your wedding day supposed to be the best day of your

Fishermen are among the best weather forecasters.

Storm Clouds (1884) was painted by Vladimir Orlovsky, a Russian-Ukrainian artist who specialized in realistic landscapes.

The fisherman in the foreground is calmly sitting on a rock next to his boat. He is waiting for the right moment to leave, but he is not looking at the same area that attracts our attention. The large stormy clouds and pouring rain on the right side form a beautiful contrast with the brighter areas in the sky.

The storm seems to hit the city (with skyscrapers?) in the background, and the fisherman seems confident that it will pass soon and he will be ready to get on the water.

Orlovsky was born in Kiev into a good family and became a very successful artist during his life, even attracting the interest from the Russian Emperor, Alexander III. One of his biggest talents was his precise observation of nature, something that comes back in his incredibly diverse oeuvre of landscape paintings.