Never before offered at auction, The Beach at Biarritz is an important rediscovery and offers a glimpse into Ivan Aivazovsky’s later life. Aivazovsky spent the summer of 1889 at the elegant French seaside resort of Biarritz, which during the Belle Époque attracted wealthy and aristocratic visitors from all over Europe, including many of its royal families (fig. 1). Situated on the Bay of Biscay, known for its changeable weather, storms and strong waves, Biarritz would have been particularly attractive to Aivazovsky, who had found success and fame across Europe with his paintings of the sea in all its states, and his unmatched talent for capturing the effects of light on water.

Biarritz’s coastline did indeed inspire the artist, and he spent the summer painting views in different light and at different times of day, beginning with quick pencil sketches that he would work up into oil studies, as well as large-scale, finished paintings such as the present lot. Ilya Ostroukhov, the notable collector and painter, whom Aivazovsky spent time with that summer in Biarritz, recalled how the artist 'without taking his eyes off the ocean and the mountains in the distance, slowly reached for his tiny notebook and drew with a pencil only three lines: the outlines of the distant mountains, the shoreline at the bottom of those mountains, and the shoreline in front of him'.¹

The present work shows the famous Grand Plage of Biarritz, where the celebrated Hôtel du Palais, originally built as a villa for the Empress Eugénie, is located. In the distance one can see the lighthouse, another landmark. The beach is crowded with fashionably dressed visitors as it would have been during the summer months, even in stormy weather, with some sitting on chairs taking in the ocean air, while others wade in the sea. Surprised by the strong waves and perhaps the incoming tide, some guests have even been swept away and have had to be rescued, while others are observing the scene. Here Aivazovsky remains true to the idea of Romanticism, with humanity exposed to the forces of nature even in places as developed as Biarritz, with its luxurious hotels and exclusive shops.

This scene must have held a particular attraction for Aivazovsky, for he painted at least two, very similar versions of the present composition. The other known version, of identical size, but signed in Cyrillic rather than Latin, is in a private collection in Russia (fig. 2). The view is slightly different, as are some of the figures, and there is a rescue boat with a French flag to the right of the rock. The main differences, however, are the variations in the light and weather, and the corresponding effects on the water, Aivazovsky’s main interest throughout his long and distinguished career.

¹ Cited in Ivan Aivazovskii. K 200-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya, exh. cat., Moscow 2016, p. 337.