Sunset Over Ischia 1857

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky painted this evocative seascape, Sunset Over Ischia, using oil on canvas. The smoothness of the blended gradients creates the luminous sunset; it almost denies the materiality of the paint, but a close look reveals Aivazovsky’s sweeping brushwork and the layering of pigments to achieve that glowing effect. What strikes me most is that Aivazovsky painted more than six thousand works in his lifetime, which means he was highly productive. He managed a large studio, more like a factory than a solitary pursuit, implying a network of assistants, and a whole economy of canvas makers, pigment grinders, and frame builders. His seascapes, while celebrated as fine art, were also products of a 19th-century art market geared towards mass consumption. Reflecting on the socio-economic context behind this artwork, it encourages us to think more broadly about the relationship between art, labor, and the forces of production that shape our visual world.