Art's Last Bow

If you’ve seen this painting of a sailing ship, scattering water drops like diamonds in its wake, you may have wondered, as I did, about its story. The swirling stars and shimmering waves in jewel-like colors lend this marine painting a magical quality that is hard to forget. Adding to its mystery is the fact that it has an intriguing message of hope and struggle for liberty at its core.   Nec mergitur. 1904-1905. Ferdynand Ruszczyc Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870–1936) was a Polish painter known for his atmospheric and stirring landscapes. He depicted the snowy forests and plowed fields of his home, imbuing his images with a legendary and epic depth and gravity. One of his most impressive paintings is Ziemia (Land), painted in 1898. Ziemia. 1898. Ferdynand Ruszczyc The painting currently known as Nec Mergitur was painted in 1904-1905. The title is part of the Latin phrase fluctuat nec mergitur “(she) is tossed by the waves but doesn’t sink.” This phrase has been the motto of...

“The Ninth Wave” is a stunning Romantic seascape. It was painted by one of the most famous marine artists in the history of art. Ivan Aivazovsky was an Armenian painter, who lived and worked in the Russian Empire, creating over 6,000 seascapes during his lifetime.  “The Ninth Wave”. 1850. Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky Who Was Aivazovsky? Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817-1900), was one of the most famous painters of the Russian Romanticism. He was Armenian, born Hovhannes Aivazian, and he grew up in the Black Sea port of Feodosia, Crimea. Aivazovsky became one of the leading marine painters of the 19 th century. His amazingly vivid seascapes made his hometown Feodosia famous across the Russian Empire and beyond. In fact, he was one of the rare Russian painters to have an exhibition in London in 1881. After completing his education in St Petersburg, Aivazovsky travelled all over Europe, including Italy. He was later appointed the official painter of the Russian Navy, ...