Stormy sea 1872

Here is the audio guide script: Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky painted 'Stormy Sea' using oil on canvas to deliver a strong sense of turbulent movement. The canvas has an arced top, which adds to a feeling of height, giving us an impression of looking up at the dramatic scene. A ship is caught in the midst of a storm at sea, where Aivazovsky creates a strong contrast in texture and color: the dark ship and angry sea are set against the diffused pastel shades of the sky. Notice the artist's dramatic use of light and shadow, the play between the calm and the chaotic elements. The dark, almost black hull of the ship struggles against the violent, churning waves rendered in vibrant greens and blues. Aivazovsky's formal arrangement, using a central focal point of the ship with softer atmospheric effects around it, asks us to consider not just the image but the feelings it provokes of danger and resilience. The artist transforms the maritime theme to explore the power of nature and humanity's relationship with it.