Description
The Thistlegorm – Underwater Painting by Olga Nikitina
Exploring the legendary SS Thistlegorm is like travelling through time. This British cargo ship, built in 1940, was sunk by German bomber aircraft in the Red Sea in 1941. Today, it rests beneath the surface as one of the world’s most fascinating wreck diving sites, preserving an extraordinary chapter of World War II history.
As a scuba diver and underwater artist, I am fascinated by the contrast between history and nature, and by the mysterious atmosphere of places where time seems to have stopped. Diving inside and around the Thistlegorm, surrounded by its massive structures, forgotten cargo, and traces of its past, inspired me to capture this unique experience through painting.
This artwork was created directly underwater at a depth of 18 metres, during a scuba diving session at the wreck itself. Painting underwater is an entirely different artistic experience. There is no familiar studio environment, no stable ground, and no predictable light. Every movement is influenced by water, currents, and the feeling of weightlessness. Colours appear differently as sunlight penetrates the water, creating unexpected combinations of light, shadow, and reflections.
My underwater paintings are intuitive expressions of the moment. Rather than trying to reproduce every detail of the wreck, I allow the surrounding environment, emotions, and sensations to guide my palette knife and movements. In this painting, I wanted to convey the monumental presence of the ship, its mysterious atmosphere, and the powerful feeling of discovering a place where history meets the underwater world.
For me, underwater painting is more than an artistic technique. It is a way of sharing the extraordinary experience of scuba diving and translating the emotions of another world into an original work of art.
The painting is an original oil artwork on stretched canvas, signed by the artist. A special Certificate of Underwater Painting accompanies the artwork, documenting its underwater creation and the depth of the painting session.
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