By 1973, there were opinions among critics that Aivazovsky was outdated, went into circulation, as they would say in our time. In response to this, the great marine painter painted the painting “Rainbow”, which not only proved to everyone the opposite, but also became a turning point in his work.
At first glance, the picture captures the standard Aivazovsky plot: a raging sea, the death of a ship. But, using refined techniques and techniques, the artist modernizes them, this is clearly seen when analyzing the color of the picture.
The canvas depicts a sailboat after a shipwreck, its silhouette is strongly blurred by spray and water dust raised by a strong wind. Because of this, the outlines of the coastal cliffs are also strongly blurred. The sky almost merged with the raging sea.
Bold bright colors, as in the painting “The Ninth Wave”, in this picture become more restrained, well-honed. Color shades and transitions are particularly sophisticated. The storm is almost over, and sunlight streaming through the ragged clouds creates a barely visible rainbow that heralds an early salvation.
Despite the tragic plot, the mood of the picture is positive. It can be seen that the mortal battle between the sea element and man ended with the victory of the latter. And the rainbow is used here as a symbol of salvation, as a ray of hope.
Year of painting: 1848.
Dimensions of the painting: 102 x 132 cm.
Material: canvas.
Writing technique: oil.
Genre: Marina.
Style: romanticism.
Gallery: State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.