Black Sea Bay, 1891, Ivan Aivazovsky — Art Postcard

Signed and dated 1891, this is Aivazovsky working in his seventy-fourth year — a familiar Black Sea bay, a low harbour tower on the shore, fishermen pulling a net in the centre, and a soft pink-blue sky that he could still mix from memory. The composition is unhurried; the touch is sure.

The card carries provenance with it — Aivazovsky's signature is part of the image — so it suits a serious marine collection as much as it suits the post.