Fig.1 Alexei Alexeevich Peshchurov

This small painting originally belonged to a larger ensemble of seven works, the main, central canvas of which is now in the Tyumen Regional Replica Handbags s Museum (The Fleet of Sevastopol, 1890, 71 by 124cm). The ensemble was commissioned from Aivazovsky by the sailors of the Black Sea Fleet to present to Vice Admiral Alexei Alexeevich Peshchurov (1834-1891) on 30 December 1890, on the occasion of his retirement from service after a long and distinguished career. He was commander of the Black Sea Fleet, headquartered at Sevastopol, from 1882 to 1890 (fig.1).

Fig.2 Partial reconstruction of the original ensemble

Presented in a unique frame, the large painting was surrounded by six small views, including the present work, View of Sevastopol from the Northern Bank (fig.2). Two of the other views, The River Ingul in the Moonlight and The First Arrival of A.A. Peshchurov in 1882 on the Steamer Elborus, Entering the Southern Bay (figs.3-4), were sold as a pair at auction by Replica Shoes 's in 2013.

Figs.3-4 The River Ingul in the Moonlight and The First Arrival of A.A. Peshchurov in 1882 on the Steamer Elborus, Entering the Southern Bay sold at Replica Shoes ’s London in 2013 for £122.500

The remaining three miniatures are known only from illustrations of the whole framed ensemble in Vsemirnaya illyustratsiya and Bulgakov (figs.5-6), both published in 1891, the same year it was exhibited at the Imperial Academy of Arts.

Figs.5-6 The ensemble illustrated in Vsemirnaya illyustratsiya (left) and Bulgakov (right), 1891

We would like to thank Dr Natalia Ignatova for providing additional cataloguing information.

The present work is included in the numbered archive of the artist's work compiled by Gianni Caffiero and Ivan Samarine.