Beautiful original painting by Voskhod 2 spacewalker Alexei Leonov entitled 'Over the Aral Sea," accomplished in gouache on a 21 x 13 sheet of artist board. The work depicts the Aral Sea, lying between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south, which was once the fourth largest lake in the world. Signed in the lower right in black paint by Leonov. Matted and framed to an overall size of 27.25 x 19.5. In fine condition. Leonov vividly paints the vast and former grandeur of the Aral Sea as viewed on high from space. By 1997, the Aral Sea had declined to 10% of its original size and was split into four lakes. Although dam projects have aided in its recovery, the shrinking of the Aral Sea has been called 'one of the planet's worst environmental disasters.'Format: Painting