Meeting of the Brig Mercury with the Russian Squadron After the Defeat of Two Turkish Battleships 1848

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky created this painting of a naval victory using oil on canvas. Aivazovsky was a master of marine painting. He achieved these dramatic effects, not at sea, but in his studio. There, he relied on sketches and memory, building up layer upon layer of pigment. See how he captures the light on the water? This was done using translucent glazes, one applied over another. It’s almost like the paint itself is luminous. But consider this: Aivazovsky’s virtuosity served a clear political purpose. As court painter to the Romanovs, he wasn’t just representing naval exploits. He was burnishing the image of the Russian empire. The materiality of the painting, built up through skilled labor, is inseparable from the social context of its making. The result is a gorgeous, but also carefully crafted, piece of propaganda. So, as you admire Aivazovsky’s technique, remember that materials and making always carry a message, one that transcends any division between art and craft.