The Ninth Wave
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Where to see it
Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
About the painting
The Ninth Wave (Russian: Девятый вал, Dyevyatiy val) is an 1850 painting by Russian marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky. It is his best-known work.
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The title refers to an old sailing expression referring to a wave of incredible size that comes after a succession of incrementally larger waves.
It depicts a sea after a night storm and people facing death attempting to save themselves by clinging to debris from a wrecked ship. The debris, in the shape of the cross, appears to be a Christian metaphor for salvation from earthly sin. The painting has warm tones, which reduce the sea's apparent menacing overtones, and a chance for the people to survive seems plausible. This painting shows both the violence and beauty of nature.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Similar works
Image: Ivan Aivazovsky; Wikimedia Commons · public domain