The Ninth Wave

"Ninth wave" redirects here. For other uses, see Ninth wave (disambiguation).

The Ninth Wave (Russian: Девятый вал, Dyevyatiy val) is an 1850 painting by Russian marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky. It is his best-known work.^[1][2]

The Ninth Wave
Artist	Ivan Aivazovsky
Year	1850
Medium	Oil-on-canvas
Dimensions	221 cm × 332 cm (87 in × 131 in)
Location	State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

The title refers to an old sailing expression referring to a wave of incredible size that comes after a succession of incrementally larger waves.^[3]

It depicts a sea after a night storm and people facing death attempting to save themselves by clinging to debris from a wrecked ship. The debris, in the shape of the cross, appears to be a Christian metaphor for salvation from earthly sin. The painting has warm tones, which reduce the sea's apparent menacing overtones, and a chance for the people to survive seems plausible. This painting shows both the destructiveness and beauty of nature.^{[citation needed]}