OIL PAINTING: Stormy Sea, 1868
The concept of light is all important to Aivazovsky. The perceptive viewer will observe that while painting the waves, clouds or sky space, the Artist's emphasis is on the light. In Aivazovsky's art light is the eternal symbol for life, hope and faith. This is light the Creator, the concept of which has its roots deep down in Armenian culture and its continuity in the next generation of Armenian artists. The Artist had heard the songs of the medieval poets glorifying light in the Armenian churches. In Aivazovsky's last paintings ("Amidst the Waves") the light descends from an unseen source as mighty ray that pierces the darkness and establishes hope.