Jens Søndergaard (Oct. 4, 1895 - 1957) was a Danish painter and master of color - with a strong regional association to Thy, my own birth place. His dad had a bicycle shop i Hurup, and young Jens was an apprentice house painter there for a while… After that it was time for the Royal Academy, but he frequently returned to the wild West Coast of Denmark for inspiration.
Above: Aftendønninger. Vesterhav, 1924-8 - oil on canvas (SMK)
The ship insignia Christianus Qvintus at the Battle of Køge Bay, 1 July 1677. One of the last oil paintings by the Danish painter Christian Mølsted (1862-1930).
Russia managed to produce genius-caliber poets, writers, dancers, and choreographers before, during, and after the period when the Tzarist Empire was imploding. I know I keep repeating this because it is so amazing to me.
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was a Russian Armenian Romantic painter considered one of the greatest masters of marine art. He was born into an Armenian family in the Black Sea port of Feodosia in Crimea and was mostly based there.
Aivazovsky was educated at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg. He eventually became the appointed main painter of the Russian Navy. He was sponsored by the state and was well-regarded during his lifetime. The saying "worthy of Aivazovsky's brush", popularized by Anton Chekhov, was used in Russia to describe something lovely. He remains highly popular in Russia today.
The painting above sits in a private collection at present. It sold for almost $5 million at Sotheby's in 2012, making Aivazovsky one of the most expensive Russian painters.
[ID: digital painting (sketch) of seven colourful small boats on calm water, with the edge of a walkway in the foreground.]
One hour plein air study. I'm not used to plein air drawing on my Ipad! And I tried to go at this more like a painting than a sketch (block out shapes/colours first and then move to details) so it was a challenge.
[ID: process video of the painting above]
[ID: photo of the painting above on an ipad, in front of the blurry boats]
Thomas Buttersworth, An Armed Topsail Schooner in Stormy Weather. c. 1800-1828. I looked it up on the Mariners' Museum of Newport News, Virginia, and found an interesting short biography of the artist (I use Buttersworth's marine paintings often in my writing about Captain Marryat).
Thomas Buttersworth was born on the Isle of Wight on 5th May 1768 and enlisted in the Royal Navy in August 1795. He joined his first ship, the brand-new frigate Caroline, as an Able Seaman, a rate which indicates previous experience in the merchant service. After only three months he was appointed Master-at-Arms and, in 1800, was made a midshipman, a rare promotion from the ‘lower deck’ at that time. Buttersworth was invalided home from Minorca later that same year and his ill health seems to have prevented his return to active service.
The large number of oil paintings and watercolors Buttersworth created between 1797 and 1800 confirms that he was actively painting during his naval service. Moreover, his many views of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent (February 14, 1797), the blockading squadron off Cadiz and of British naval activity in and around the Tagus River strongly suggest that he witnessed these events in person.
— The Mariners' Museum online catalogue.
Wiki doesn't have the part about Buttersworth being an older midshipman (approximately age 32), but it's not uncommon for the 18th century Royal Navy—which also had more social mobility than the 19th century Royal Navy, I'd argue. Per wiki, Buttersworth died in 1842, so he lived a long life despite the poor health that ended his career in the service.