Aivazovsky. In Pursuit of the Ideal

In Pursuit of the Ideal, displays works by Ivan Aivazovsky (1817–1900), a Russian painter of Armenian heritage who specialised in seascapes. The exhibition, comprised of 39 works, includes View of Mount Vesuvius a Day Before the Volcanic Eruption, which is part of the Art Museum of Estonia’s collection and has not been exhibited publicly since 1886. The painting was in very poor condition and required extensive conservation, a long-term process which has now been completed.

The exhibition at the Kadriorg Art Museum is the first large exposition of Ivan Aivazovsky’s works in Estonia.

The core of the exhibition is comprised of Ivan Aivazovsky’s famous paintings and drawings from the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg. At the exhibition, viewers can observe all of Aivazovsky’s creative periods and types of seascapes: from stormy to calm seas, from glowing sunsets to nocturnal scenes in shimmering moonlight, as well as views of Crimea, Italy, Odessa and Constantinople.

In addition to works from the State Russian Museum and the Art Museum of Estonia, the exhibition also includes works from the Narva Museum, Tartu Art Museum, private collections and the Latvian National Art Museum, including a work that the artist donated to the Riga museum after an exhibition that took place in Riga in 1886.

Ivan Aivazovsky was one of the most famous representatives of Russian art, and his seascapes have enchanted the public through the ages, during his lifetime and up to the present day, as was proven by the large exhibitions organised in Russia and Armenia last year to mark Aivazovsky’s 200th birthday.

The exhibition is part of the programme marking the 300th anniversary of Kadriorg.

Exhibition curators: Alar Nurkse and Aleksandra Murre

Exhibition designer: Tõnis Saadoja

Exhibition graphic design and catalogue design: Mikk Heinsoo / Stuudio Stuudio