Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov

Biography

Early years and education

Alexander Andreyevich was born to an art professor Andrey Ivanov. Aged 11, he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts and studied at his father's course together with Karl Briullov. For his good achievements he was awarded with two silver medals, in 1824 he received a golden medal for the painting 'Priam Asking Achilles to Return Hector's Body'. In 1827 he was honoured with the Big Gold Medal of the Imperial Academy of Arts for 'Joseph interprets the butler's and the baker's dreams' and was promoted to the XIV grade artists.

Ivanov's benefactors decided to send him abroad to study art, but required one more picture, thus he creates 'Bellerophon sent to a campaign against the Chimera'. In 1830 Ivanov departs to Europe, first in Germany, then to Italy.

Italian years

Ivanov's first works in Rome were copies of The Creation of Adam of the Sistine Chapel and some drafts of Biblical scenes. He dreamed to create an epic painting of the Messiah coming to people, but first he decided to try himself on lesser-scale picture. In 1834–1835 he finished Appearance of Jesus Christ to Maria Magdalena. The painting had great success both in Rome and St. Petersburg. The Russian Imperial Academy of Arts granted Ivanov an honorary academic degree in 1836.

He spent most of his life in Rome, where he befriended Gogol and was influenced by the Nazarenes.

''The Appearance of Christ Before the People''

Main article: The Appearance of Christ Before the People

Ivanov spent 20 years (1837–1857) in Rome, working on his greatest masterpiece The Appearance of Christ Before the People.{{cite web

Death

Ivanov died of cholera on July 3, 1858. He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Novodevichy Cemetery. In 1936, he was reburied with the transfer of the monument to the Tikhvin Cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Influence and critics

Critical judgement about Ivanov improved in the following generation. Some of the numerous sketches he had prepared for The Appearance have been recognized as masterpieces in their own right. The most comprehensive collection of his works can be viewed at the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

Gallery

File:Александр Андреевич Иванов - Явление Христа народу (Явление Мессии) - Google Art Project.jpg|The Appearance of Christ Before the People (1837–57) File:Alexander Ivanov - Christ's Appearance to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection - Google Art Project.jpg|Noli me tangere, 1835 File:Alexandr Ivanov 025.jpg|Joseph interprets the butler's and the baker's dreams, 1827 File:Alexandr Ivanov 005.jpg|Priam Asking Achilles to Return Hector's Body, 1824 File:Apollo, Hyacinthus and Cyparis singing and playing by Alexander Ivanov.jpg|Apollo, Hyacinthus and Cyparis singing and playing, 1831–1834 File:Bellerofont otpravljaetsja v pohod protiv Himery.jpg|Bellerophon sent to a campaign against the Chimera, 1829 File:Alexandr Ivanov 050.JPG|Joseph's Brothers Find the Silver Goblet in Benjamin's Pack, 1831–1833 File:Aleksander Ivanov - Аппиева дорога (Via Appia) при закате солнца - Google Art Project.jpg|Appian Way at Sunset, 1845 File:Alexandr Ivanov 014.jpg|Last supper, 1850 File:Ivanov Vittoria Caldoni 1834.jpg|Vittoria Caldoni, 1834 File:N.Gogol by A.Ivanov (1841, Russian museum) 2.jpg|Nikolai Gogol, 1841

References

References

1. Sibbald, Barbara. (February 5, 2002). "If the soul is nourished...". Canadian Medical Association Journal.
2. Saitov, Vladimir I.. (1912). "[[:ru:Петербургский некрополь". Stasyulevich Typography.
3. (2011). "Исторические кладбища Санкт-Петербурга". Tsentpoligraf.