Aivazovsky was deeply affected by the Hamidian massacres that took place in the Armenian-inhabited areas of the Ottoman Empire between 1894 and 1896 . He painted a number of works on the subject such as '' The Expulsion of the Turkish Ship '' , and '' The Armenian Massacres at Trebizond '' . He threw the medals given to him by the Ottoman Sultan into the sea and told the Turkish consul in Feodosia : " Tell your bloodthirsty master that I 've thrown away all the medals given to me , here are their ribbons , send it to him and if he wants , he can throw them into the seas painted by me . " He created several painting on the events , such as '' The Massacre of Armenians in Trebizond '' ( 1895 ) , '' Lonely Ship '' , '' Night . Tragedy in the Sea of Marmara '' ( 1897 )
Hamidian massacres
Hamidian massacres
Ivan Aivazovsky