Rocks in the mist 1890

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky painted this oil on canvas, “Rocks in the Mist,” to capture the sublimity of nature. Aivazovsky, an Armenian-Russian artist, spent much of his life in the Crimea. The Black Sea became his muse and personal space, and he would go on to paint thousands of seascapes during his lifetime. Looking at this painting, it's difficult not to think of the complex politics of identity and place. Aivazovsky navigated being both Armenian and Russian in a world marked by imperial ambitions and cultural divides. It makes you wonder about his sense of belonging, how he navigated these different worlds. His seascapes weren't just pictures; they were emotional landscapes, shaped by the experiences of a man caught between cultures. Here we see a personal narrative of identity, resilience, and creative expression, set against the turbulent backdrop of 19th-century Imperial Russia.