Genres of Paintings Painting Genres    

Lesson 9: Seascape - Moonlit Seascape with Shipwreck

by Ivan Aivazovsky

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the artwork's genre.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

A section on seascapes and nautical art would not be complete without at least one work from Russian Romantic painter and master marine artist, Ivan Aivazovsky. Aivazovsky's 'Moonlit Seascape with Shipwreck' depicts a ship run aground off the coat in the dark of night. A glowing full moon peeps from between the clouds, illuminating the breaking waves glistening like gemstones and crashing against the sandy beach. The sea glows like molten gold near the horizon. A small group of people gather outside a modest hut and its wooden watchtower to watch the spectacle. One observer points at the people escaping the swamped ship in lifeboats.

Vocabulary

Seascape: A view of an expanse of sea.
Nautical Art: Of or concerning sailors or navigation; maritime.
Maritime: Connected with the sea, especially in relation to seafaring commercial or military activity.
Shipwreck: The destruction of a ship at sea by sinking or breaking up, e.g., in a storm or after running aground.
Aground: With reference to a ship, on or onto the bottom in shallow water.
Watchtower: A tower built to create an elevated observation point.

Concepts

1. Seascape artwork depicts the water, waves, weather, ships, people, and lighthouses of the sea.
2. Seascapes may include views of both land and sea, boats and the sea, exclusively feature the sea, or even hint at what lies beneath the surface of the sea.
3. Whereas with seascapes, the central feature of the artwork tends to be the sea, artwork prominently featuring boats may be referred to as nautical art and artwork featuring commercial or military vessels may be classified as maritime art.
4. Study the subtle differences between seascapes, nautical art, and maritime art by examining Gustave Courbet's seascape, 'The Wave,' Vincent van Gogh's nautical painting, 'Fishing Boats at Sea,' and Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom's maritime painting, 'Dutch Ships Ramming Spanish Galleys off the English Coast, 3 October 1602.'

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Zoom in to find the following in the artwork:

• Shipwreck
• Person Pointing
• Watchtower
• Beach
• Horizon
• People in Lifeboats
• Cottage
• Something that Looks Like Liquid Gold
• Something Peeping Between Clouds
• A Mixture of Water in Liquid, Solid, and Gas Forms

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Map the Artist

Zoom in to find the artist's home country of Russia.

Activity 4: Color Russia on the Map   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 20 of 'Art History Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Activity 5: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 21 of 'Third Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 5

Answer 1

The characters are the people in the lifeboat, the people still on the ship, and the people watching from shore.

1 / 5

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 5

Answer 2

The setting is on the shore of the sea.

2 / 5

Question 3

What reflects in the artwork?

3 / 5

Answer 3

The moonlight reflects off the water in the artwork.

3 / 5

Question 4

What are the sources of light in the painting?

4 / 5

Answer 4

The sources of light are the moon and perhaps a candle or lantern shining through the window of the cottage.

4 / 5

Question 5

Into which genre is this painting classified?

5 / 5

Answer 5

This painting falls into the seascape genre.

5 / 5

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The characters are the people in the lifeboat, the people still on the ship, and the people watching from shore.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is on the shore of the sea.
3. What reflects in the artwork? The moonlight reflects off the water in the artwork.
4. What are the sources of light in the painting? The sources of light are the moon and perhaps a candle or lantern shining through the window of the cottage.
5. Into which genre is this painting classified? This painting falls into the seascape genre.

References

'Seascape.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.