Between Sail and Ferry: I.K. Aivazovsky and the Creation of a Myth (How Painting Preserved the Image of the Sailing Fleet in the Era of Technical Progress)
Journal: Art & Culture Studies
Year: 2026

The article explores the influence of art on cultural memory during the transition from sail to steam navigation in the 19th century. Through an analysis of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky’s (1817–1900) works, the article demonstrates how painting not only documented historical changes but also romanticized sails, contrasting them with the industrial era of steamships. The focus is on how the artist, following Romantic traditions, transformed maritime scenes into symbols of a fading epoch, empha