Ivan Aivazovsky beside his painting, 1898

Ivan Aivazovsky (Aivazyan) beside his painting, 1898.

The elderly painter stands next to an easel, one hand resting against his head and the other holding a cane. On the easel is a seascape in a gilded frame, with sailing ships in the distance. On a small table to the right lies a paint box.

In the upper right of the photograph is a handwritten dedication in Russian with the words “as a token of deep respect”, a signature and a date.