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Aivazovsky and biography of the artist. Brief biography of Aivazovsky As a talented artist Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

Aivazovsky and biography of the artist. Brief biography of Aivazovsky As a talented artist Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

01.07.2019

Aivazovsky is often called the darling of fate. This is not surprising - popularity came to him in his youth and remained with the artist until the last days of his life, and his paintings were always very warmly received by the public. Aivazovsky is among those artists that even people who are far from fine arts know about, and whose work is liked by the absolute majority. Aivazovsky owes such success, of course, to his unique talent: he is often called the "singer of the sea." Indeed, the artist devoted his whole life and all his work to this element, each time discovering it in a new way in an endless series of canvases. Below is a relatively short story about the biography and work of Aivazovsky, interesting facts and performance features that formed the unique style of the marine painter.

Biography. Childhood

Hovhannes Ayvazyan - this is the real name of the artist - was born on July 17 (29), 1817 in the ancient Crimean city of Feodosia in the family of an impoverished merchant Gevork (Konstantin) Ayvazyan. Gevork wrote his last name in the Polish manner - Gaivazovsky. Their family barely made ends meet, and Hovhannes, the youngest son, began to earn extra money from the age of ten.

The boy's talent manifested itself very early. The Ayvazyan house stood on the outskirts of the city, on a hill with an extraordinary view of the sea. The susceptibility of the future artist allowed him to absorb all the beauty of the boundless sea element in order to later embody it in his immortal canvases.

But even then Hovhannes was already painting. Thanks to a happy occasion, which abound in the biography and work of Aivazovsky (who was invariably accompanied only by success during his lifetime), his drawings were noticed by the mayor Kaznacheev. He highly appreciated the boy's abilities and took an ardent part in his fate. Treasurers gave him paints and paper for drawing and taught him from the city architect, then sent him to Simferopol to the gymnasium. There, in Simferopol, Ayvazyan's talent was also noticed, and it was decided to apply for his enrollment in

The President of the Academy in those years was Olenin, a well-known patron of the arts, who did a lot for Russian culture. Seeing an extraordinary talent in Ayvazyan, he decides to send a 13-year-old boy to the Academy.

Studying at the Academy of Arts

At the Academy, Hovhannes Ayvazyan (he would change his name to "Ivan Aivazovsky" a little later, in 1841) got into the landscape class with M. N. Vorobyov, one of the most famous painters of the early 19th century. Vorobyov became famous not only for his paintings, but also to a large extent for a whole galaxy of famous artists whom he brought up (including Aivazovsky). Vorobyov immediately noticed his student's penchant for the sea, and then supported and developed it in every possible way. He himself was one of the best landscape painters of his time, and Aivazovsky adopted and adopted many of his individual skills. This is well felt in the painting "Seashore at night. At the lighthouse" (1837).

While studying at the Academy, Aivazovsky also actively got acquainted with works of art collected in the Hermitage and private collections. At the same time, he participated in the Academic Exhibition with two canvases: "Study of the air over the sea", his first painting, and "View of the seaside in the vicinity of St. Petersburg".

Trip to Crimea

In the spring of 1838, Aivazovsky, by decision of the Academy Council, went to the Crimea for two years to improve his skills. Naturally, the artist chooses Feodosia, the city where he spent his childhood, as his place of residence. There he writes a lot from nature: he creates sketches, small sketches.

In the same place, Aivazovsky painted his first large canvas from life: Yalta (1838). In this picture, the influence of another famous Russian landscape painter is noticeable, but it is in the Crimea that the artist’s original style begins to take shape. This is more noticeable in the painting "Old Feodosia" (1839). In the canvases created on the Crimean coast, the artist seeks to create an image of a particular place, to capture the unique, characteristic features of the place.

In 1839, Aivazovsky, at the invitation of Raevsky, went on a naval campaign to the shores of the Caucasus. According to the impressions left from that trip, he later wrote "The Landing of N. N. Raevsky near Subashi" (1839).

In 1840, Aivazovsky returned to St. Petersburg, where he officially completed his studies and was awarded the title of artist.

Italy

In the summer of 1840, Aivazovsky, as a boarder of the Academy, among others, went to Rome to improve his skills. There he travels a lot, making countless sketches, sketches, later finalizing them in the studio. This is where the artist's creative method finally takes shape: an amazing sensitivity to the elusive nuances of the state of the elements, the ability to memorize a picture in detail, and then refine the sketches based on what he saw in the workshop. He created many canvases without any sketches from life, from memory.

In Italy, in three years, he creates, in addition to other paintings, more than 30 large-format canvases - his work capacity is truly extraordinary. These are views of Naples, Venice, Amalfi, Sorrento. But besides them, there are really monumental works: "The Creation of the World. Chaos" - the most ambitious of everything he created in Italy. All the artist's works are distinguished by an impeccable color composition, sustained in a single style and perfectly conveying all the nuances of the mood of the landscape.

He would later repeatedly return to Italian landscapes, creating new canvases from memory in the studio.

northern seas

Aivazovsky returned to his homeland as a world-famous artist. He was awarded the title of academician, and also assigned to the Main Naval Staff. Immediately a voluminous and difficult task appears: to write all Russian seaports on the Baltic Sea. This is how a large series of paintings appears, among which are views of Krondshtat, Reval, Sveaborg. All of them combine documentary accuracy in the transfer of details and at the same time poetic spirituality.

Especially among others stands out "Revel" (1844) - so transparent and light, with the most delicate shades of sky and water, the landscape is a lyrical work, a sample of poetry.

In 1845, Aivazovsky, together with the Litke expedition, traveled to Turkey, Greece and Asia Minor. The result of this trip will later be several views of Constantinople, the coast of Turkey and the Bosphorus; the most famous painting from those places is "Georgievsky Monastery. Cape Fiolent" (1846). The paintings acquire a noticeable romantic hue, in many respects consonant with Pushkin's poetry about the sea, interesting effects of moonlight and sunlight.

Naval battles

While still a full-time painter of the Main Naval Staff, Aivazovsky created many battle paintings depicting naval battles of the Russian flotilla. In them, he sang the glory of Russian weapons and the valor of sailors. The most famous canvases are The Chesme Battle on the Night of June 25-26, 1770 (1848) and The Battle in the Chios Strait on June 24, 1770 (1848), which depict the key naval battles of the Russian Empire.

Aivazovsky also depicted episodes from the Russian-Turkish war and the defense of Sevastopol. In particular, several paintings were devoted to the famous brig "Mercury", which won in an unequal battle with two Turkish battleships.

In the pictures of battles, the battle does not obscure the image of the sea: they are skillfully intertwined, and in the battle scene one of the heroes is the sea, majestic and peculiar.

Workshop in Feodosia

In 1846, Aivazovsky began building his own house and workshop in Feodosia. After the Litke expedition, he basically lives and works there, visiting St. Petersburg and Moscow. From nature, he no longer writes; works only in the workshop, relying on his memory. He actively participates in social activities, organizes his exhibitions, in 1847 he received the title of professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.

In the 1860s and 70s, his work flourished. Paintings "Sea" (1864), "Black Sea" (1881) are created. Their extraordinary strength lies in the fact that, in addition to external beauty, Aivazovsky very accurately conveyed the internal state, character and mood of the sea, literally spiritualized it. This was noticed and highly appreciated by many prominent artists of that time.

Aivazovsky continued to create paintings until the end of his life. One of his last works, "Among the Waves" (1898), is considered by some to be the pinnacle of the artist's work. Deprived of any details - fragments of masts, people - the image of the raging sea is majestic in its irresistibility. Indeed, this is a grandiose result of the work of the great marine painter.

Features of creativity

Many artists in one way or another turned to the marine theme throughout their work. However, it was Aivazovsky who devoted all of himself to the sea without a trace. From the combination of this endless love for the open spaces of the sea and the ability to perceive the slightest shades of the mood of nature, the exceptional originality of his work grew.

The biography and work of Aivazovsky began in the days of romanticism. The work of famous Russian poets of that time - Zhukovsky, Pushkin - largely influenced the formation of his style. However, the greatest impression of all the famous contemporaries on Aivazovsky was made by the painter Karl Bryullov and his work. This was reflected later in the battle paintings of the artist.

Aivazovsky's romanticism lies in the fact that, with all the liveliness of the paintings, the emphasis is not on realism, authenticity, but on the general impression, on the mood of the landscape. Therefore, a lot of attention is paid to color: each picture is sustained in a certain tone with an infinite number of shades of variations, together creating a single whole, the harmony of all elements of the landscape. Aivazovsky paid special attention here to the interaction of water and air: he wrote out both in one session, which created a sense of the unity of space.

In later years, he began to gradually turn to realism: in the 70s, these are just some of the elements, and the romantic direction prevails, but in the 80s they occupy more and more space: spectacularity, colorfulness, dramatic plots disappear, they are replaced by more quiet low-key landscapes, nevertheless also filled with poetry and charm.

The most famous paintings

Almost all the most famous paintings have already been mentioned in the course of the story about the biography and work of Aivazovsky. For children 10 years and older, it may be worth mentioning the most "replicated" painting by the artist - "The Ninth Wave" (1850). The dramatic plot - dawn at sea after a strong storm and people fighting the elements - sings of the superiority, power of nature, and the powerlessness of man in front of her greatness.

Personal life

Talking about the biography and work of the artist Aivazovsky, we bypassed his personal life. And he married in 1848 Yulia Yakovlevna Grefs. According to his own letters, everything happened unusually quickly - "in two weeks" after they met, he got married, and in marriage Yulia Yakovlevna gave him four daughters. However, family life did not work out, and after a while a divorce followed.

In 1882, Aivazovsky married a second time - to the widow of a Feodosia merchant, Anna Burnazyan. Despite her lack of secular education, she had a natural sense of tact and sensitivity, and cared for her husband with great warmth.

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Biography, life story of Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich

Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich - Russian artist.

Childhood and youth

Ivan Aivazovsky was born on July 17 (according to the new style - July 29), 1817 in Feodosia in the family of a merchant Konstantin Grigorievich and his wife Hripsime, an Armenian. At birth, their son received the name Hovhannes - he became Ivan a little later.

Little Ivan began to reveal his creative abilities early. So, the boy completely independently learned to play the violin and, with the support of Yakov Koch, a local architect who saw Ivan's talent, mastered the art of drawing. After graduating from the Feodosia district school, Aivazovsky became a student at the Simferopol gymnasium. The mayor of Feodosia Alexander Kaznacheev, the very first admirer of Aivazovsky, helped Ivan to get into this educational institution. A little later, Ivan was transferred to the Imperial Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg, where from the very first days of his stay he proved the uniqueness of his gift.

Training, first successes

While still studying at the Academy, Ivan Aivazovsky got a job as an assistant to the French landscape painter Philip Tanner. Philip strictly forbade his assistant to work independently, but the passion for painting was stronger than the fear of the teacher's wrath. In 1836, at the exhibition of the Academy of Arts, he presented 5 of his landscapes, which resonated with critics. Tanner, although he recognized Ivan's talent, was outraged by his behavior and made sure that Aivazovsky's paintings were removed from the exhibition.

Six months after the unpleasant incident at the exhibition, Aivazovsky was assigned to the class of battle painting to Alexander Sauerweid, a professor who taught the skill of naval military painting. A few months later, Aivazovsky received the Big Gold Medal for his painting Calm. Because of the incredible abilities of Aivazovsky, because of his special vision of the world, because of his rare talent, the leadership of the Academy decided to release the student two years ahead of schedule and send him to the Crimea for independent work.

CONTINUED BELOW

creative path

In the spring of 1838, Ivan Aivazovsky went to the Crimea, where for almost two years he painted seascapes and battle painting. In the summer of 1839, Aivazovsky returned to St. Petersburg, received a certificate of graduation from the Academy of Arts, the first rank and personal nobility.

In the summer of 1840, Ivan Aivazovsky and his colleague Vasily Shternberg set off for Rome, making stops in Florence and Venice along the way. During the journey, Ivan Konstantinovich managed to see his brother Gabriel, who devoted his life to the monastery on the island of St. Lazarus.

For some time Aivazovsky worked in southern Italy. His paintings were a success, they were bought by noble people. For his work, Ivan Konstantinovich received not only praise and financial support, but also various honorary awards, including the gold medal of the Paris Academy of Arts.

In 1842, Ivan Aivazovsky went through Switzerland to Holland, from there to England, then to France, Portugal, Spain ... In 1844, the artist returned to Russia, where he became a painter of the Main Naval Headquarters of Russia. Three years later, Aivazovsky took the post of professor at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, while simultaneously participating in the life of other academies - Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, etc.

In 1845 he began to build a house on the embankment in Feodosia. The painter took an active part in the life of the city, contributed as best he could to its improvement and prosperity. Thanks to his efforts, Feodosia became one of the centers of the picturesque culture of southern Russia. In addition, Ivan Konstantinovich led an active social life - he guarded the monuments of Crimea, organized archaeological excavations, initiated the construction of the Feodosia-Dzhankoy railway, the city concert hall and the local library, advocated the expansion of the port of Feodosia, and even shared with the residents of the city water from the owned him Subashsky source during a drought. Ivan Aivazosky did a lot for Feodosia, its development and the happiness of its inhabitants, for which he became the first honorary citizen of this city in history.

Aivazovsky was a true marine painter. The sea is what was his true artistic passion. Curiously, he had a special method of writing the sea. He never painted his paintings from nature - he looked at the landscape a little, studied it, and then restored it from memory, using only schematic drawings. One of Aivazovsky's most famous paintings is The Ninth Wave (1850). In total, Ivan Aivazovsky created more than 6 thousand paintings and organized more than 120 solo exhibitions.

Wives and children

The first wife of Ivan Konstantinovich was Julia Grevs, the daughter of an English staff doctor. Ivan and Yulia got married in 1848. Four girls were born in the marriage - Elena, Maria, Alexandra and Zhanna. In 1860, Julia left her husband, unable to bear life away from the capital. It is noteworthy that officially their marriage was annulled only in 1877.

The second wife of Aivazovsky was Anna Sarkisova-Burnazyan, an Armenian, the widow of a Feodosia merchant. Actually, at the funeral of this merchant, Aivazovsky was fascinated by the beautiful widow. A year after the first meeting, in 1883, the lovers got married.

Death

On May 2, 1900, Ivan Aivazovsky began work on the painting “The Explosion of a Turkish Ship”. The canvas remained unfinished - on the same day the artist passed away. Aivazovsky's body was buried in the courtyard of the medieval Armenian church of St. Sargis. In 1903, a marble tombstone appeared on the grave, on which it is written in ancient Armenian: "Born mortal, left behind an immortal memory".

Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich

Name at birth	Hovhannes Ayvazyan
Date of Birth
Place of Birth	Feodosia (Crimea)
Date of death
Place of death	Feodosia (Crimea)
	the Russian Empire
	Marine painter, battle painter
	Imperial Academy of Arts, Maxim Vorobyov
	romanticism
Influence at	Arkhip Kuindzhi, Julia Brazol

Childhood and studies

Crimea and Europe (1838-1844)

Later career

Aivazovsky and Feodosia

Last days of life

Works in the modern world

Major collections of works

Legends about Aivazovsky

Monuments in Feodosia

Monument in Kronstadt

Monument in Yerevan

Monument in Simferopol

Toponymy

In philately

Painting theft

Filmography

Ivan Constantinovich Aivazovski(arm. Հովհաննես Այվազյան, Hovhannes Ayvazyan; July 17, 1817 - April 19, 1900) - the world-famous Russian marine painter, battle painter, collector, philanthropist. Painter of the General Naval Staff, academician and honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Arts, honorary member of the Academies of Arts in Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Florence and Stuttgart.

The most outstanding artist of Armenian origin of the XIX century. Brother of the Armenian historian and Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church Gabriel Aivazovsky.

The origin of the Aivazovsky family

Hovhannes (Ivan) Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was born in the family of merchant Konstantin (Gevorg) and Hripsime Aivazovsky. On July 17 (29), 1817, the priest of the Armenian church in the city of Feodosia recorded that Konstantin (Gevorg) Aivazovsky and his wife Hripsime were born " Hovhannes, son of Gevork Ayvazyan". Aivazovsky's ancestors were Galician Armenians who moved to Galicia from Western Armenia in the 18th century. It is known that his relatives owned large landed property in the Lvov region, but no documents more accurately describing the origin of Aivazovsky have been preserved. His father Konstantin (Gevorg) and after moving to Feodosia wrote a surname in the Polish manner: "Gayvazovsky" (the surname is a Polonized form of the Armenian surname Ayvazyan). Aivazovsky himself, in his autobiography, speaks of his father, that due to a quarrel with his brothers in his youth, he moved from Galicia to the Danube principalities (Moldavia, Wallachia), where he engaged in trade, from there to Feodosia; fluent in 6 languages.

Biography

Childhood and studies

The artist's father, Konstantin Grigoryevich Aivazovsky (1771-1841), after moving to Feodosia, married a local Armenian woman Hripsima (1784-1860), and three daughters and two sons were born from this marriage - Hovhannes (Ivan) and Sargis (later, in monasticism - Gabriel). Initially, Aivazovsky's business was successful, but during the plague of 1812 he went bankrupt.

Ivan Aivazovsky from childhood discovered in himself artistic and musical abilities; in particular, he taught himself to play the violin. Theodosian architect - Yakov Khristianovich Kokh, who was the first to pay attention to the artistic abilities of the boy, gave him the first lessons in skill. Yakov Khristianovich also helped the young Aivazovsky in every possible way, periodically giving him pencils, paper, and paints.

He also recommended paying attention to the young talent to the Feodosia mayor Alexander Ivanovich Kaznacheev. After graduating from the Feodosia district school, Aivazovsky was enrolled in the Simferopol gymnasium with the help of Kaznacheev, who at that time was already an admirer of the talent of the future artist. Then Aivazovsky was admitted at public expense to the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.

It is also known that the first art teacher of young Ivan Aivazovsky was the German colonist artist Johann Ludwig Gross, with whose light hand young Ivan Konstantinovich received recommendations to the Academy of Arts. Aivazovsky arrived in Petersburg on August 28, 1833. In 1835, for the landscapes "View of the seaside in the vicinity of St. Petersburg" and "Study of air over the sea" he received a silver medal and was assigned as an assistant to the fashionable French landscape painter Philip Tanner. Studying with Tanner, Aivazovsky, despite the latter's prohibition to work independently, continued to paint landscapes and exhibited five paintings at the autumn exhibition of the Academy of Arts in 1836. Aivazovsky's works received favorable reviews from critics. Tanner complained about Aivazovsky to Nicholas I, and by order of the Tsar, all of Aivazovsky's paintings were removed from the exhibition. The artist was forgiven only six months later and assigned to the class of battle painting to Professor Alexander Ivanovich Sauerweid to study naval military painting. After studying in Sauerweid's class for only a few months, in September 1837 Aivazovsky received the Big Gold Medal for the painting Calm. In view of Aivazovsky's special success in teaching, an unusual decision for the academy was made - to release Aivazovsky from the academy two years ahead of schedule and send him to the Crimea for these two years for independent work, and after that - on a business trip abroad for six years.

Crimea and Europe (1838-1844)

In the spring of 1838, the artist went to the Crimea, where he spent two summers. He not only painted seascapes, but also engaged in battle painting, participated in hostilities on the coast of Circassia, where, observing from the shore the landing in the Shakhe River valley, he made sketches for the painting “Airborne detachment in the Subashi Valley” (as the Circassians then called this place), written later at the invitation of the head of the Caucasian coastal line, General Raevsky. The painting was acquired by Nicholas I. At the end of the summer of 1839 he returned to St. Petersburg, where on September 23 he received a certificate of graduation from the Academy, his first rank and personal nobility. At the same time, he became close to the circle of Karl Bryullov and Mikhail Glinka.

The St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts, by virtue of its charter, by the authority given to it by the monarch, a pupil of his Ivan Gaivazovsky, who studied in it since 1833 in painting marine species, completed his course of study, for his good successes and the good nature especially recognized in him, honest and commendable behavior, elevating to the title of an artist, equalized by the most merciful of this Academy of privileges with the 14th class and rewarding him with a sword, honors him with his descendants in eternal childbirth to enjoy the rights and advantages that the highest privilege is assigned to such. This certificate was given in St. Petersburg, signed by the President of the Academy and with the application of its large seal.

In July 1840, Aivazovsky and his friend in the landscape class of the Academy, Vasily Sternberg, went to Rome. On the way, they stopped in Venice and Florence. In Venice, Ivan Konstantinovich met Gogol, and also visited the Island of St. Lazarus, where, after many years of separation, he met his brother Gabriel, who lived in a monastery on the island. Aivazovsky left as a gift to the monks one of his works on the biblical theme - the painting "Chaos. The Creation of the World."

The artist worked for a long time in southern Italy, in particular in Sorrento, and developed a style of work, which consisted in the fact that he worked outdoors only for short periods of time, and in the studio he restored the landscape, leaving a wide scope for improvisation. Another painting on the theme of the creation of the world - the painting "Chaos" was bought by Pope Gregory XVI, who also awarded Aivazovsky a gold medal.

In general, Aivazovsky's work in Italy was accompanied by success, both critically (in particular, William Turner praised his work) and commercially. For his paintings, he received a gold medal from the Paris Academy of Arts. At the beginning of 1842, Aivazovsky traveled through Switzerland and the Rhine Valley to Holland, from there he sailed to England, and later visited Paris, Portugal and Spain. In the Bay of Biscay, the ship on which the artist was sailing was caught in a storm and almost sank, so that there were reports in the Parisian newspapers about his death. In the autumn of 1844 he returned to Russia. During the four years of his stay abroad, Aivazovsky grew from a talented novice artist into a first-class master with a completely defined attitude. A brilliant talent that amazed everyone, the freedom and speed with which the artist wrote, the poetic intentions, the desire to embody the most diverse, often unusual, impressions and images - from lyrical moonlit nights to "Chaos at the moment of the universe."

Later career

In 1844, Aivazovsky became a painter of the Main Naval Headquarters of Russia, and from 1847 - a professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts; was also in European academies: Rome, Paris, Florence, Amsterdam and Stuttgart.

Ivan Konstantinovich painted mainly seascapes; created a series of portraits of the Crimean coastal cities. His career has been very successful. The artist was awarded many orders and received the rank of real privy councilor, which corresponded to the rank of admiral. In total, the artist wrote more than 6 thousand works.

On April 12, 1895, I. K. Aivazovsky, returning from Nakhichevan-on-Don, where he met with Mkrtich Khrimyan (1820-1907), the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, stopped by his old friend Y. M. Serebryakov in Taganrog. This was Aivazovsky's second visit to Taganrog - the first was in 1835, when he visited the Palace of Alexander I.

In Taganrog for a pilgrimage shelter with a chapel of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, whose representative in Taganrog was Ippolit Ilyich Tchaikovsky (brother of the composer), Aivazovsky presented his painting “Walking on the Waters”, which was placed in the chapel. For this gift, the artist was awarded the personal gratitude of the Chairman of the Society, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.

Aivazovsky and Feodosia

After completing the voyage with Admiral Litke in the fall of 1845, Aivazovsky turned to the Main Naval Headquarters and the Academy of Arts with a request to extend his stay in the Crimea to complete the work begun and received permission to stay until next May. But in the same year, Aivazovsky began building his house on the city embankment and settled in Feodosia. Aivazovsky traveled a lot, often, sometimes several times a year, went to St. Petersburg, but considered Feodosia his home. “My address is always in Feodosia”, he reported in a letter to Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov.

Aivazovsky was actively involved in the affairs of Feodosia, its improvement, contributed to the prosperity of the city. His influence on the Theodosian life was enormous. Aivazovsky opened an art school and an art gallery in Feodosia, turning Feodosia into one of the centers of pictorial culture in southern Russia and preparing the formation of a kind of school of painters of the Crimean nature (the Cimmerian school of painting).

He was interested in archeology, dealt with the protection of Crimean monuments, supervised the excavations of more than 90 barrows (some of the items found are kept in the Hermitage). At his own expense and according to his own project, he built a new building on Mount Mithridates for the Feodosia Museum of Antiquities with a memorial to P. S. Kotlyarevsky (the museum building was blown up by Soviet troops retreating from the Crimea in 1941; the memorial was also lost). For services to archeology, Ivan Konstantinovich was elected a full member of the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities.

Aivazovsky was the initiator of the construction of the Feodosia - Dzhankoy railway, built in 1892. He advocated the expansion of the Feodosia port, published open letters, where he substantiated the advantages of building a port in Feodosia. As a result, from 1892 to 1894, the largest commercial port in the Crimea was built in Feodosia.

Aivazovsky, among other things, initiated the construction of a city concert hall, took care of the library in Feodosia.

In 1886, Feodosia experienced a severe shortage of water. “Not being able to continue to be a witness to the terrible disaster that the population of my native city suffers from lack of water from year to year, I give him 50 thousand buckets a day of clean water from my Subash spring as an eternal property”, - so Ivan Aivazovsky wrote in his address to the city duma in 1887. The Subash spring was located in the estate of Shah-Mamai, not far from the Old Crimea, 25 versts from Feodosia. In 1887, work began on laying a water pipe, thanks to which water came to the city. In the park near the embankment, according to the artist's design, a fountain was built, from which local residents received water for free. In one of his letters, Aivazovsky wrote: "An oriental-style fountain is so good that neither in Constantinople nor anywhere else do I know of such a successful one, especially in proportions." The fountain was an exact copy of the fountain in Constantinople. Now the fountain bears the name of Aivazovsky.

In 1880, the artist opens an exhibition hall in his house. Ivan Konstantinovich exhibited his paintings in it, which were not supposed to leave Feodosia, as well as recently completed works. This year is officially considered the year of the creation of the Feodosia Art Gallery, which the artist bequeathed to his native city. The text of Aivazovsky's will read

I.K. Aivazovsky was the first to be awarded the title of honorary citizen of the city of Feodosia.

Last days of life

The description of the artist’s appearance in the last years of his life was left by the teacher of the Feodosia male gymnasium Yu. A. Galabutsky, who closely observed Ivan Konstantinovich

His figure stood out very impressively from those present. He was not tall, but very strong build; his bureaucratic face, with a shaved chin and gray sideburns, was enlivened by small brown, lively and penetrating eyes;

Aivazovsky was not a master of speech at all. A non-Russian accent was noticeable in his speech, he spoke somewhat difficultly and not smoothly, drawing out words and making rather long pauses; but he spoke with the calm gravity of a man who cares not about how to say, but only about what to say.

Yuri Galabutsky. Aivazovsky. According to personal memories. To the 100th anniversary of the death of the artist

Before his death, he painted a picture "Sea Bay"; and on the last day of his life he began to paint a picture "The explosion of the Turkish ship" which was left unfinished. In total, during his life he painted about 6,000 paintings and arranged 125 solo exhibitions.

Ivan Aivazovsky is buried in Feodosia, in the courtyard of the medieval Armenian church of Surb Sarkis (Saint Sarkis). In 1903, the artist's widow installed a marble tombstone in the form of a sarcophagus made of a single block of white marble, the author of which was the Italian sculptor L. Biogioli. On one side of the sarcophagus, the words of the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi are written in ancient Armenian: "Born mortal, left behind an immortal memory" and on in Russian Professor Ivan Konstantinovich AIVAZOVSKY 1817 - 1900".

Creation

Aivazovsky from his youth developed his own view of creativity, and hence his own method of work. “A painter who only copies nature,” he said, “becomes her slave, bound hand and foot. A person who is not gifted with a memory that preserves the impressions of wildlife can be an excellent copyist, a living photographic apparatus, but never a true artist. The movements of the living elements are elusive for the brush: writing lightning, a gust of wind, a splash of a wave is unthinkable from nature ... "

Aivazovsky, of course, was first and foremost a marine painter. He tried to use every theme as a pretext for marine painting. If he paints the picture “The Arrival of Catherine II in Feodosia”, then most of the canvas is occupied by the image of the Feodosia Bay, the city lying in the ring of ancient walls, the sea surf, so special in this place, with waves lying wide on the sandy shore. If he paints the picture "Napoleon on the island of St. Helena", then here the very plot of the picture is only a pretext for depicting the sunrise over the ocean. In The Death of Pompeii, the city is also written from the side of the sea, along which ships rush with people seeking salvation.

In 1845, the Mediterranean geographical expedition led by F.P. Litke, which included Ivan Konstantinovich, set off for the shores of Asia Minor. Then Constantinople conquered the artist. After the end of the expedition, he wrote a large number of works, including those with views of Constantinople.

The end of the forties and the first half of the fifties of the 19th century were full of major events for Aivazovsky, which had a decisive influence on the further development of his work and on the fate of Feodosia itself: marriage in 1848, the construction of an art workshop in Feodosia (school of painting in the Crimea), the first archaeological excavations in Feodosia in 1853. In 1850, he painted the famous painting The Ninth Wave, which is now in the State Russian Museum. It was not only a synthesis of his work over the previous decade, but also the most striking work of Russian painting of the romantic direction.

As Aivazovsky accumulated vast creative experience and knowledge, a noticeable shift took place in the process of the artist's work, which affected his preparatory drawings. Now he creates the skeleton of the future picture according to his imagination, and not according to a natural drawing, as he usually did in the early period of creativity. His pencil sketches for paintings in the most general terms convey only the outline of the composition of the conceived painting. At the same time, they are so expressive in their simplicity that they immediately guess the plot of the picture, and often the picture itself. Not always, of course, Aivazovsky was immediately satisfied with the solution found in the sketch. For example, there are three versions of the sketch for his last painting, “The Explosion of the Ship.” “The plot of the picture is formed in my memory, like the plot of a poem by a poet: having made a sketch on a piece of paper, I get to work and until then I do not leave the canvas until I express myself on it with my brush. Having sketched with a pencil on a piece of paper a plan of the picture I had conceived, I set to work and, so to speak, give myself to it with all my heart ... "

The third trip to Constantinople, I. K. Aivazovsky makes in 1874. Many artists of Constantinople, at that time, were influenced by the work of Ivan Konstantinovich. This is especially evident in the marine painting of M. Jivanyan. The brothers Gevork and Vagen Abdullahi, Melkop Telemaku, Hovsep Samandjiyan, Mkrtich Melkisetikyan later recalled that Aivazovsky also had a significant influence on their work. One of Aivazovsky's paintings was presented by Sargis Bey (Sarkis Balyan) to Sultan Abdulaziz. The Sultan liked the picture so much that he immediately ordered the artist 10 canvases with views of Constantinople and the Bosphorus. While working on this order, Aivazovsky constantly visited the Sultan's palace, made friends with him, as a result, he painted not 10, but about 30 different canvases.

Aivazovsky was the first among Russian artists, long before the organization of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions, began to organize exhibitions of paintings not only in St. Petersburg, Moscow or the capitals of European countries, but also in many provincial cities of Russia: in Simferopol, Odessa, Nikolaev, Riga, Kyiv, Warsaw, Kharkov , Kherson, Tiflis and others.

Many of his contemporaries highly appreciated the artist's work, and the artist I. N. Kramskoy wrote: “... Aivazovsky, no matter what anyone says, is a star of the first magnitude, in any case; and not only here, but in the history of art in general…”.

Seascapes

The famous English marine painter W. Turner, who visited Rome in 1842, was so shocked by the paintings of I. Aivazovsky (“Calm at Sea” and “Storm”) that he dedicated a poem to him:

Battle stories

Pictures of Aivazovsky's naval battles have become a chronicle of the exploits of the Russian Navy - the Battle of Navarino, the Battle of Chesme, the Battle of Sinop. Aivazovsky devoted two paintings to the feat of the brig Mercury, many interesting paintings dedicated to the defense of Sevastopol. Among them are such as "The siege of Sevastopol", "The transition of Russian troops to the North side", "The capture of Sevastopol". With the beginning of the Crimean War, the artist organized an exhibition of his battle paintings in Sevastopol. Subsequently, for a long time he refused to leave the besieged Sevastopol, and only after an official order from Kornilov and much persuasion, Aivazovsky left for Kharkov, where his wife and daughters were at that moment. In 1854, the artist paints a huge painting "The Siege (Bombing) of Sevastopol" and donates it to the Sevastopol Museum. The painting was painted under the direct impression of the artist's visit to the besieged city.

Oriental stories

landscapes

Armenian stories

Aivazovsky painted pictures on themes from Armenian history, as well as on biblical themes, which he presented to the Armenian churches of Feodosia. The artist painted with frescoes the Theodosian church of Surb-Sarkis (St. Sarkis), where he was once baptized and subsequently buried.

Works in the modern world

In our time, interest in the works of the artist does not subside. His works are constantly sold at various auctions. For example, in 2008, at Sotheby's, two canvases by Aivazovsky, Food Distribution and Aid Ship, were sold for $2.4 million. Washington.

Auction Christie's in 2004 sold St. Isaac's Cathedral on a frosty day for 1.125 million pounds. At the same auction in June 2009, two small marinas (for £32,000 and £49,000) and two large canvases (for £421,000 and £337,000) were sold.

In 2007, at the Christie's auction, the painting "The Ship at the Rocks of Gibraltar" was sold for 2.708 million pounds, which was a record for Aivazovsky's paintings at that time. On April 24, 2012, Aivazovsky's 1856 painting "View of Constantinople and the Bosphorus" was sold at Sotheby's for £3.2 million.

Major collections of works

Aivazovsky's paintings are in the best museums in the world. At the same time, many provincial museums in Russia also have paintings by the artist, but as a rule, less outstanding ones. Some of the paintings are in private collections. The largest collections of the artist's works are in:

Feodosia Art Gallery. I.K. Aivazovsky
Tretyakov Gallery
State Russian Museum
National Art Gallery of Armenia
Museum-reserve Peterhof
Central Naval Museum

The artist's self-portrait is kept in the Uffizi Gallery.

Family

In 1848 Ivan Konstantinovich got married. Aivazovsky's first wife, Yulia Yakovlevna Grevs, was an Englishwoman, the daughter of a staff doctor who was in the Russian service. They had four daughters: Elena, Maria, Alexandra and Zhanna. Due to Aivazovsky's unwillingness to live in the capital, Yulia Yakovlevna left her husband after 12 years. However, the marriage was annulled only in 1877. It is noteworthy that several of Aivazovsky's grandchildren became famous artists.

Children

Helena + Pelopidas Latri

Latri, Mikhail Pelopidovich, artist
Alexander Latry(with the blessing of Nicholas II, the only one of the grandchildren received permission to bear the name of the painter).
Sofia Latry + (1) Novoselsky+ (2) prince Iveriko Mikeladze

Olga Novoselskaya + Stephan Asford Sanford. A son: Henry Sanford
Gayane Mikeladze

Maria(Mariam) + Wilhelm Lvovich Hansen

Ganzen, Alexey Vasilievich, marine painter. + Olympics

Alexandra+ Michael Lampsy . The family lived in Feodosia and occupied the right side of Aivazovsky's house.

Nicholas Lampsy + Lydia Soloms. From 1907 to 1909 - director of the Art Gallery in Feodosia. Children: Mikhail, Irina, Tatiana
Ivan Lampsy

Jeanne + K. N. Artseulov

Artseulov, Nikolai Konstantinovich, shipbuilder and marine painter
Artseulov, Konstantin Konstantinovich, Russian pilot and illustrator

The second wife is Anna Nikitichna (Mkrtichevna) Sarkisova-Burnazyan (1856-1944), Armenian. Aivazovsky saw Anna Nikitichna at the funeral of her husband, a well-known Feodosia merchant, in 1882. The beauty of the young widow struck Ivan Konstantinovich. A year later they got married. The gallery holds a portrait of Anna Nikitichna, painted by Aivazovsky. Anna Nikitichna survived her husband by 44 years and died in Simferopol during the German occupation of Crimea.

Legends about Aivazovsky

Most sources attribute only Armenian origin to Aivazovsky. Some lifetime publications dedicated to Aivazovsky convey, from his words, a family tradition that there were Turks among his ancestors. According to these publications, the artist's late father told him that the artist's great-grandfather (according to Bludova - on the female line) was the son of a Turkish military leader and, as a child, during the capture of Azov by Russian troops (1696) was saved from death by an Armenian who baptized him and adopted (option - a soldier). After the death of the artist (in 1901), his biographer N. N. Kuzmin told the same story in his book, but about the artist’s father, referring to an unnamed document in Aivazovsky’s archive. However, there is no proof of the veracity of this legend.

Memory

Monuments in Feodosia

In 1930, a monument by the sculptor I. Ya Gunzburg was erected near the artist's house, the stone pedestal was made by the famous Feodosia master Yani Fok. On the pedestal there is a laconic inscription: "Theodosius - to Aivazovsky." Initially, the opening of the monument was supposed to coincide with 1917 - the centenary of the birth of Aivazovsky, but the revolutionary events pushed back this date.
The Aivazovsky Fountain, designed and funded by the artist himself, was the end point of a water supply system intended for distributing water that came to the city from sources owned by the artist. Initially, the fountain was thought to be named after Alexander III, and even a plate with the name of the sovereign was prepared, but then, by the Highest Decree, it was ordered to give the fountain the name of Aivazovsky. The place where the name of the emperor was replaced with Aivazovsky is still clearly visible. In pre-revolutionary times, the fountain had a silver mug with the inscription "For the health of Aivazovsky and his family."
In 1890, on Italianskaya Street (now Gorky Street), in gratitude to the Aivazovsky family for donating water from the Subash springs to the townspeople, a fountain-monument was built. The solution of the fountain was original. A bronze female figure was installed on the pedestal, which held a shell in its hands, from which water flowed into a stone bowl, and, overflowing it over the edges, fell into a pool that towered above the ground. From the side of the figure was a palette crowned with laurels with the inscription "To the good genius." According to the stories of old-timers, Anna Nikitichna, the artist's wife, was recognizable in the bronze figure. During the Great Patriotic War, the monument was lost. In 2004, the fountain was recreated (sculptor Valery Zamekhovsky) with a new inscription "Grateful Feodosia to the great Aivazovsky and his students" and the names on the sides: Fessler, Latri, Ganzen, Lagorio.

Monument in Kronstadt

On September 15, 2007, the first monument to Aivazovsky in post-Soviet Russia was opened in Kronstadt. The bust of the artist is located on Makarovskaya Embankment near the sea fortress, covering the sea approaches to St. Petersburg. Sculptor - Vladimir Gorevoy. Representatives of the Leningrad naval base and the great-great-granddaughter of the artist Irina Kasatskaya, among others, took part in the opening ceremony of the monument.

Monument in Yerevan

In 1983 sculptor Khachar(Rafik Gareginovich Khachatryan) created a copper sculptural portrait of Ivan (Hovhannes) Aivazovsky, the great marine painter.

On May 1, 2003, in the center of Yerevan, in one of the squares near the House of Chamber Music, a monument was erected by Ogan Petrosyan.

Monument in Simferopol

The monument to the brothers Ayvazyan (actually Ivan and Gabriel) was erected on the initiative and at the expense of the Armenian National Society of Crimea “Louis”. Sculptors - L. Tokmajyan with his sons, architect - V. Kravchenko. Square named after P. E. Dybenko, Sovietskaya Square.

Toponymy

One of the central streets of Feodosia is named after Ivan Aivazovsky, where the artist built his house-gallery. The railway station of Feodosia is also named after the artist, who, as you know, actively advocated the construction of the railway. The village of Sheikh-Mamai, where Aivazovsky owned the estate, was later renamed Aivazovsky. In many cities of Russia and neighboring countries there are Aivazovsky streets (for example, in Moscow, Sevastopol, Kharkov and Yerevan).

In philately

Postage stamps of the USSR

Objects named after the artist

Liner Airbus A321 (VP-BQX) airlines "Aeroflot" "I. Aivazovsky.
Motor ship "Aivazovsky".

Painting theft

Aivazovsky's paintings are often the subject of theft. Below is a far from complete list of thefts of the artist's paintings:

On July 9, 2015, 3 paintings were stolen from the Tarusa Art Gallery, including the work of Aivazovsky “The Sea near the Island of Capri”. In August, the criminals were detained, the stolen paintings were confiscated.
In early 2014, Aivazovsky's painting "Seascape in the Crimea" (1866) was stolen from the Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts.
In 2003, the painting “Sunrise” (1856) was stolen from the Astrakhan Art Gallery named after Boris Kustodiev (in 1999, the painting was taken from the museum under the guise of restoration, and in 2003 a fake returned from the “restoration”). The original painting has not been found. The forgery was destroyed by court order.
Earlier, in 2002, Aivazovsky's painting "A Ship Aground" (1872) was stolen from the Novosibirsk Art Gallery. Picture not found.
In 2001, along with a number of paintings by other authors, Aivazovsky's painting "Sunset in the Steppe" (1888) was stolen from the Tashkent Museum of Art. The offender was detained after 3 months, the stolen paintings were returned to the museum after a two-year restoration.
In 1997, Aivazovsky's Evening in Cairo (1871) was stolen from a private collection in Moscow. In May 2015, the painting "surfaced" at the London auction Sotheby's.
In 1992, 14 paintings by various artists were stolen from the Sochi Art Museum. Among the stolen two works by Aivazovsky: “View of Constantinople” and “Meeting the Sun. Sea". In 1996, these paintings were removed by the English police from the auctions of Christie's and Sotheby's. According to the results of investigative actions and operational measures, 13 out of 14 stolen paintings were returned to the Sochi Museum (Kustodiev's painting "Roofs" was not found).

Filmography

"Aivazovsky and Armenia" (documentary). 1983
Aivazovsky. Citizen of Feodosia (film 1) and Aivazovsky. Gift of Destiny (film 2). Lentelefilm, 1994.
In 2000, the Russian Museum and the Kvadrat Film studio created a film "Ivan Aivazovsky".
The plot of the artist in the project "Russian Empire" (episode 10, part 2. Nicholas II).
The Flood (A series from the program "Bible Story" dedicated to Aivazovsky).

Awards and regalia

1856

Order "Nishan-Ali" IV degree (Turkey)

1857

Order of the Legion of Honor (France)

1859

Order of the Savior (Greece)

1865

Order of Saint Vladimir (Russia)

1874

Order of Osmaniye II degree (Turkey)

1880

"Diamond medal" (Turkey)

1890

Order of Medzhidie I degree (Turkey)

1893

Order of the White Eagle (Poland)

1897

Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky (Russia)

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky is a famous Russian marine painter of his time. He painted 6,000 paintings depicting "big water". The artist raved about the sea. The element was for Aivazovsky something sacred, magical. Today I will briefly talk about the biography and work of the painter.

Artist biography

The biography of Ivan Aivazovsky is connected with the sea. The famous marine painter was born on July 29, 1817 in the port town of the Crimean peninsula (Feodosia). The artist's family had an average income. The boy's relatives supported all his undertakings, since the child had a craving for knowledge and an accurate memory.

Once the chief architect of the city noticed a talented boy painting the sea. The official, inspired after viewing Ivan's paintings, presented him with a set of paintings and brushes, noting the young man's extraordinary talent. The architect contributed to Aivazovsky getting the necessary art education.

From the age of 13, the future artist studied at the Simferopol gymnasium, 16 - at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In 1837, the painter became the owner of a gold medal for the success of applied art, allowing him to travel abroad. The artist conquers Abkhazia, Italy, France, Holland. Makes new acquaintances, often ending in close friendship, actively engaged in painting.

In 1844 (after returning) the artist was awarded the title of academician. Creativity of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky developed fruitfully over the next few decades. The painter is working on the creation of new canvases, doomed to be world famous. In parallel, Ivan Konstantinovich is engaged in charity work, makes a huge contribution to the development of the infrastructure of his native city.

Ivan Konstantinovich created his family in 1848. Aivazovsky married the daughter of the emperor's court physician Julia Grevs. The couple had 4 children. However, the happiness turned out to be short-lived, since Julia suffered a serious nervous illness that adversely affected the behavior of a woman.

The couple divorced (the wife loved the splendor of the capital, did not want to devote her life to Feodosia). Until the end of his days, Aivazovsky tried to maintain friendly relations with his daughters. It was very difficult to maintain a friendly position due to the constant interference of the ex-wife, preventing the establishment of normal relations.

Ivan Konstantinovich married for the second time at the age of 65 (1881). The chosen one of the artist is young Anna Sarkizova (she has just turned 25). The woman was faithful to the painter, respectively, until the end of her days supported Aivazovsky. In her honor, he painted the painting "Portrait of the Artist's Wife."

Creation

At the age of 20, the artist becomes the youngest graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy (according to the rules, you need to study for another 3 years). Next comes the travel period. The painter goes to his native Crimea for 2 seasons, and then to Europe for 6. Wanderings helped the artist to find an individual style of creating canvases, to improve his visual skills.

The works of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky were a great success. The painting "Chaos" wished to acquire the Pope. The artist did not want to sell the canvas, but handed the painting to the pontiff as a personal gift.

Thanks to his talent, friendly character, of course, Aivazovsky had friendly ties with many influential people. The artist was friends with Pushkin, Bryullov, Glinka, warmly communicated with the imperial family. Fame, wealth, worldwide recognition did not change the painter. The first place for Ivan Konstantinovich was still occupied by vocation.

Paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky are highly valued (the most expensive is 3.5 million dollars). The original paintings are in many museums around the world. Some paintings are kept in the galleries of his native city, founded by the artist himself.

famous paintings

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky "The Ninth Wave" is my favorite work. The canvas depicts an angry sea raging in the midst of a gloomy thunderstorm at night. The painting was painted in 1850. Today's original painting is in the State Russian Museum.

The canvas "Rainbow" depicts the tragic events of a shipwreck. The plot of the death of a ship crashing against the rocks is presented to the eye. Exhausted by the elements, the sailors are trying to escape with the help of a boat. A ghostly rainbow lights up the sky, symbolizing salvation.

“Evening in the Crimea. Yalta ”Aivazovsky created in 1848. The sunset gives a unique color scheme, illuminating the mountains and people around with the last rays of the sun.

“Sunset” is a painting painted by the artist in 1866. It depicts a ship in the still waters of the evening sun. Carefree clouds light up the sky, a family is located on the shore. Idyll.

The painting “Black Sea” (“A storm begins to break out on the Black Sea”) was created in 1881. The canvas shows the power of sea waves engulfed by a storm. Water is depicted as attractive, bewitching. The picture is painted using preferably dark tones.

The painting "Wave" depicts the power of a sea storm, the ruthlessness of the waves. Amid the raging water, a sinking ship seems small, helpless.

"Storm" shows the majesty of the sea element in moments of an all-consuming storm. Despite the wreck of the ship, unsuccessful efforts to save the crew, the sea remains beautiful.

"Night on the island of Rhodes" is an enchanting seascape with an evening sunset. There are no high waves familiar to Aivazovsky storm. The picture breathes calmness, peace.

The “Chesme Battle” is dedicated to the victory of the Russian people in the battle of the same name on June 24-26, 1770. The canvas depicts the confrontation between the navy of the native people and enemy Turkey.