Battle of Chios on 24 June, 1770 1848

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky painted "Battle of Chios on 24 June, 1770" with oil on canvas. Aivazovsky, a Russian Romantic painter, is best known for his seascapes, and this painting depicts a key naval engagement in the Russo-Turkish War. But what does it mean to commemorate a scene of violent conflict? In this era, paintings of battles served to glorify military power and national identity. The drama of the scene—the smoke, the towering ships, the chaotic action—is rendered with a clear patriotic bent. Russia's victory over the Ottoman Empire is valorized, yet the painting's romantic style risks aestheticizing violence. When we consider the politics of imagery, we might ask: what is the public role of art in times of war and peace? Historical archives and state records can give us a fuller view of the institutional imperatives that shaped this artwork. The painting reminds us that art is always contingent on social and historical contexts.