LONDON (Panorama.am) — “Venice at Sunset” by world-renowned seascape artist Hovhannes (Ivan) Aivazovsky has been sold for £609,000 ($780,000) at Christie’s auction of the Russian Art held in London on November 26, TASS reports.
“Venice at Sunset” was estimated to be worth £400,000-600,000 ($522,800-$784,200) at the auction. Aivazovsky painted it in 1873 and it eventually became part of John Kluge’s private collection. The painting never appeared in the arts market over the past 20 years.
The auction, that brought together 250 participants from 29 countries, collected a total of £7,15 million.
All proceeds from the sales at Christie’s will be donated to the Columbia University of New York.
Aivazovsky (1817–1900), was a Russian painter of Armenian descent, most famous for his seascapes, which constitute more than half of his paintings. Aivazovsky was born to a poor Armenian family in the city of Theodosia in the Crimea.
At the age of 20, he graduated from the Art Academy of St. Petersburg with a gold medal. He moved to Italy to continue his studies and returned as an internationally acclaimed seascape painter. Neither financial security nor life in Palace interested him. He returned to his native land, built a studio on the seashore and, until the last days of his life, dedicated himself to the work that he loves.