Aivazovsky was best known for his seascapes. His skillful use of watercolor to depict the subtle reflections of light on the sea surface gained him comparison to J. M. W. Turner and Russian painter Sylvester Shchedrin. A student of the St.Petersburg Academy of Arts, he graduated with a gold medal. Later in life he founded an art school on his estate in Feodosia and began the first archaeological excavations of the region. His works are included in the State Tretiyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, and The Hermitage.