Why it matters
After a night storm, shipwreck survivors cling to debris from their wrecked ship on a raging sea. The title refers to an old sailing expression for a wave of incredible size that follows a series of ever larger ones. The painting shows both the violence and the beauty of nature, and is Aivazovsky's best-known work.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1850.
- The debris they cling to has the shape of a cross, read as a Christian metaphor for salvation.
- Its warm tones soften the sea's menace and make the survivors' rescue seem plausible.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Ninth Wave (CC BY-SA 4.0).
