Aivazovsky was able to travel widely in his long life of 82 years. One of the most significant locations for him would be Istanbul in modern-day Turkey. There he received a number of commissions from the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire. Many of his paintings are still on display today in the magnificent palaces of the former Ottoman rulers.
His association with the Ottoman Turks would prove to be one of the most painful associations of his life considering that he was Armenian, and that his ethnic group suffered a horrific and violent purge at the hands of the Turks near the end of the 19th Century.
Winter Landscape (1856) - Drawing-Watercolor , Pencil/paper, 8 1/4 in x 12 in - Hammer price: $55,470
A sailing boat in choppy waters - Drawing-Watercolor , Watercolour, 9 3/4 in x 12 5/8 in - Hammer price: $13,317
Seascape/Mountain View - Miniature (2), Miniature, 1 1/6 in x 1 5/8 in - Hammer price: $11,215
Seascape of Ship in the Black Sea (1891) - Painting , Oil/cardboard, 2 1/2 in x 4 in - Hammer price: $60,000
Storm at sea (1881) - Painting , Oil/canvas, 16 1/8 in x 21 1/4 in - Hammer price: $357,630
Self-Portrait with Seascape - Photography , Photomontage, 10 3/8 in x 7 5/8 in - Hammer price: $16,681
Pleine lune sur la côte de la Mer Noire - Print-Multiple , Print, 7 5/8 in x 11 in - Hammer price: $146