The famous 19th-century marine painter Ivan (Hovhannes) Aivazovsky was born 200 years ago in Feodosia, into the family of a bankrupt Armenian merchant. Father Konstantin (Gevorg) moved to Feodosia from Galicia, where his parents moved from Western Armenia in the 18th century.
"Ivan's father was a merchant. He spoke six languages. Having moved to Feodosia, he replaced his name Gevorg, which is unusual for Russians, with the name Konstantin. The future artist Hovhannes Ayvazyan was also born here," Honored Cultural Worker of Armenia Shagen Khachatryan said in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.
The father of the future seascape painter began to write his last name with the prefix "hay" (translated from Armenian - Armenian). In Russian, the letter "h" was replaced by "g" - this is how the surname Gayvazyan appeared.
Later, the artist's family was listed in the documents as the Gaivazovskys, in the Polish way. Ivan Gaivazovsky has shown talent as an artist from an early age. He paints various landscapes on the walls of the houses of Feodosia, in which the sea is necessarily present. At that time, the mayor of Feodosia was Alexander Kaznacheev. One day, walking through the streets of the city, he saw a teenager painting on the walls of houses with charcoal.
"Hovhannes was then about ten years old. He painted with charcoal on the white walls - an imaginary easel, an old fortress with a raging sea," Khachatryan said.
Treasurers immediately recognized a great talent in the little boy. Since then, he supported him, as the family of a bankrupt merchant had difficulty making ends meet. After graduating from the Feodosia state school, the young artist, not without the support of Kaznacheev, was admitted to the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. The head of Feodosia wrote a letter to St. Petersburg recommending that a talented young man of Armenian origin be taken to the vacant position. Treasurers did not fail - Aivazovsky graduated from the Academy of Arts with a gold medal. By the age of 27, Ivan has become a respected member of the academy and is gradually becoming a popular artist. The Emperor of Russia invites him to the palace and commissions a series of paintings.
In 1840, after many years of deliberation, Ivan and his older brother Gabriel decided to change their surname to Aivazovsky. They decided to make the surname more harmonious and write it in Russian Aivazovsky, and in Armenian - Ayvazyan.
The decision was made in Italy, in the Armenian Mekhitarist Congregation on the island of Saint Lazarus. Ivan or Hovhannes came here as a scholarship holder of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, and Gabriel studied at the local school from a young age.
"Aivazovsky in his letters has repeatedly mentioned that he considers the spelling of his last name as Gaivazovsky incorrect," Khachatryan said.
Ivan on the canvases dedicated to the Armenian theme was signed by Ayvazyan, all his other works were signed by "Aivazovsky".
According to Khachatryan, today Aivazovsky is considered a Russian marine painter, he was brought up in the traditions of the Russian painting school.
However, in the letters addressed to the Armenian Catholicos Nerses Ashtaraketsi, the marine painter writes that he serves the Armenian people and, above all, considers himself an Armenian.
If you ask a person who is far from art, which of the great painters he can name, then his answer will definitely sound the name of the magnificent Russian artist - marine painter Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky. In addition to paintings of the sea element, Aivazovsky left a great many works of other subjects. The artist traveled a lot to different countries and always painted what impressed him.
Childhood
The artist's surname originally sounded like Ayvazyan, and the name recorded at baptism was Hovhannes. His parents, Armenians by origin, lived in Feodosia. It was in this city, in the family of the merchant Gevork (Konstantin) and his wife Repsime, on July 17, 1817 (Aivazovsky's date of birth is indicated according to the old style), the little son Hovhannes was born. The artist had three sisters and a brother, Sargis, who later adopted and received the name Gabriel.
The genus of the Aivazovsky family originates in Galicia, where the artist's ancestors moved from Armenia. His grandfather Grigor and grandmother Ashkhen owned land near the city of Lvov. Unfortunately, more accurate information about the origin of the family has not been preserved. The artist's father, after a quarrel with his brothers, ends up in Feodosia and changes his last name to Gaivazovsky.
The first years of Aivazovsky's life were spent in Feodosia on the Black Sea coast, already in childhood he began to be interested in painting and music. The little boy painted his first pictures on the white walls of the houses of Feodosia with black charcoal. The architect Yakov Kokh drew attention to his abilities, who began to teach the boy and helped him, after receiving an education at the district school, enter the Simferopol gymnasium.
Education in St. Petersburg
In the autumn of 1833, Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky arrived in St. Petersburg. He is accepted at public expense to the Imperial Academy of Arts. First, he studied with M. Vorobyov in the landscape class, and then was transferred to the assistant to the marine painter F. Tanner, a Frenchman by birth. By this time, Aivazovsky managed to get a silver medal for the landscapes "View of the seaside in the vicinity of St. Petersburg" and "Study of air over the sea", which were presented to the public at an academic exhibition.
Quarrel with the teacher
In the biography of the marine painter Aivazovsky, there was an interesting incident that happened between him and his teacher. Working as Tanner's assistant, Ivan Aivazovsky had no right to work independently. But the young artist, despite the agreement with the teacher, continued to paint his own landscapes, and at the 1836 exhibition at the Academy of Arts he exhibited five paintings. Critics were delighted with the work of Aivazovsky, which cannot be said about Tanner, who was so offended by the success of his student and assistant that he complained to Emperor Nicholas the First himself. The works of the young painter were immediately removed from the exhibition.
Six months later, Aivazovsky was assigned to the class of Professor Sauerweid, a specialist in battle painting. After studying with a professor for several months, in 1837 the artist received the Big Gold Medal for the painting “Calm” he painted. The result of Aivazovsky's work and his successes at the Academy of Arts was the decision to graduate from his studies two years earlier than expected, and send him to the Crimea for independent work for this time, since the Academy had already taught the young master everything he could.
Return to Crimea
Returning to the Crimea in 1838, Aivazovsky tries to work hard and productively. Two years of Aivazovsky's life were devoted to work on seascapes and battle scenes. For this, he takes part in hostilities and oversees the landing of military troops on the coast of Circassia. The painting “Landing of a Detachment in the Subashi Valley” painted by him was the result of these observations and was a great success with the emperor. Nicholas purchased the painting from the artist and used it to glorify the exploits of the fleet.
By the autumn of 1839, Aivazovsky returned to St. Petersburg to receive a certificate. In addition, he receives a rank and personal nobility. In the summer of 1840, together with his friend V. Sternberg, he went on a trip to Italy.
Practice in Italy
During the time spent in Italy, Aivazovsky managed to visit Rome, Florence, Venice, where he met Gogol. He visits the island of St. Lazarus, where his brother Gabriel lives in a monastery. The brothers had not seen each other for many years. Monk Aivazovsky leaves as a gift his painting “Chaos. The Creation of the World”, the plot of which is based on biblical events.
In the process of working on the shores of Italy, Aivazovsky develops his own way of painting. The artist had a very well-developed visual memory, he had a rich imagination, so he worked little in the open air and finished painting in the studio. The Italian works created by Aivazovsky were a great success in society. The English artist gave very good reviews. The works were noted at the Paris Academy and awarded a gold medal.
Ninth shaft
After working in Italy, Aivazovsky continues his trip to Europe. He visits Switzerland, Holland, England, France, Portugal, Spain. The artist always keeps an album with him and sketches seascapes and nature that stretches along the coast. While traveling along the Bay of Biscay, the ship on which the artist was located falls into a severe storm. The ship miraculously survived, but the newspapers announced the death of the artist in the waters of the bay. Aivazovsky survived and continued to work. Eight years after this sea adventure, in 1850, the master paints the painting The Ninth Wave, in which he reflects his experiences and impressions of the storm that happened to him in the Bay of Biscay.
Unusual paintings of the marine painter
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky spent a lot of time traveling around the world. In all countries, he made sketches and sketches of subjects of interest to him. One of the most unusual works for a marine painter is a picture painted after visiting the opening of the Suez Canal. Aivazovsky's work is called The Great Pyramid of Giza.
Another painting unusual for Aivazovsky was painted in 1837: the canvas is called “View of the Grand Cascade in Peterhof”.
During a visit to Constantinople, the artist paints the painting "Eastern Scene". On it, the master depicted a story that takes place in a small coffee shop located in the Ortakoy mosque. The picture was created in 1845. Another painting "Eastern Scene" was also painted in Constantinople a year later.
In addition to landscapes, Aivazovsky painted excellent portraits. An example of this is the painting with a portrait of grandmother Ashkhen, painted in 1858.
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was a very successful painter. A rare artist achieved such fame during his lifetime. The master had a large number of awards, he had the rank of admiral, and in 1864 he was awarded the hereditary nobility.
Aivazovsky's life in Feodosia
In 1845, Aivazovsky petitioned the main naval headquarters, where he works as a painter, and the Academy of Arts, of which he is a professor, with a request to allow him to be in the Crimea in order to complete the work begun there. Having received permission, Aivazovsky begins to build a house in his beloved Feodosia. Despite constant trips around the world, Aivazovsky always told his friends that his home was in Feodosia.
The artist develops a very active work on the improvement of the city. He opens an art school and an art gallery. The years of Aivazovsky's life in his native city have a very beneficial effect on the development of Feodosia. The city becomes the center of painting and culture in the south of the country. The artist opens a school of painters, the training in which is aimed at developing the talents of landscape painters. In addition to the development of the Cimmerian school, Aivazovsky participates in the creation of a concert hall and a library in Feodosia.
Not only an artist
Everyone knows that Aivazovsky was a marine painter, but few people know that the master of seascapes was an archaeologist and was a member of the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities. According to the project he created and at his expense, an archaeological museum of antiquities was built, located on Mount Mithridates. Unfortunately, the museum was destroyed during the war in 1941.
The artist helped organize the construction and development of the railway, which was opened in 1892. Thanks to his efforts, the largest trading port on the Crimean coast, located in the master's hometown, was rebuilt.
The history of the Subashinsky source
Aivazovsky's family was quite rich. The artist owned the Subashinsky spring with crystal clear water. In 1886, the master's hometown suffered from a lack of drinking water. Aivazovsky turned out to be a very generous person: seeing the suffering of the inhabitants of Feodosia due to the lack of clean water, he allowed his source to be used. For these purposes, a water supply system was laid, since it was 25 miles from the city to the source. In the city, according to the project of the artist, a fountain was created, any resident could take as much water from it as he needed, and absolutely free of charge. Nowadays, this fountain bears the name of the artist.
Master's testament
The years of Aivazovsky's life were filled with creativity and improvement of his native Feodosia. One of the great gifts for the city was an art gallery. The Aivazovsky Museum, opened in the artist's house, is also famous, where paintings are exhibited that, according to Aivazovsky's will, should not leave Feodosia.
At the end of his life, the artist created the painting "Sea Bay" - this is his last completed work. The day before his death, Aivazovsky begins work on the painting "The Explosion of a Turkish Ship", but does not have time to complete it.
Aivazovsky was married twice, his two grandsons became painters. Michael Latri was a representative of the Cimmerian school, a painter and ceramics artist. Alexei Ganzen, like his great grandfather, was a marine painter.
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky is a famous Russian marine painter, the author of more than six thousand canvases. Professor, academician, philanthropist, honorary member of the Academies of Arts in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, Rome, Stuttgart, Paris and Florence.
The future artist was born in Feodosia, in 1817, in the family of Gevork and Hripsime Gaivazovsky. Hovhannes' mother (the Armenian version of the name Ivan) was a full-blooded Armenian, and his father came from Armenians who migrated from Western Armenia, which was under the rule of the Turks, to Galicia. In Feodosia, Gevork settled under the name Gaivazovsky, writing it down in the Polish manner.
Hovhannes' father was an amazing man, enterprising, savvy. Dad knew Turkish, Hungarian, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian and even gypsy languages. In the Crimea, Gevork Ayvazyan, who became Konstantin Grigoryevich Gaivazovsky, very successfully engaged in trade. In those days, Feodosia was growing rapidly, acquiring the status of an international port, but all the successes of an enterprising merchant were nullified by a plague epidemic that broke out after the war with.
By the time Ivan was born, the Gaivazovskys already had a son, Sargis, who took the name Gabriel as a monk, then three more daughters were born, but the family lived in great need. Mother Repsime helped her husband by selling her skillful embroideries. Ivan grew up as a smart and dreamy child. In the morning he woke up and ran to the seashore, where he could spend hours watching ships entering the port, small fishing boats, admiring the extraordinary beauty of landscapes, sunsets, storms and calm.
Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Black Sea" The boy painted his first pictures on the sand, and after a few minutes they were washed away by the surf. Then he armed himself with a piece of coal and decorated the white walls of the house where the Gaivazovskys lived with drawings. The father looked, frowning at the masterpieces of his son, but did not scold him, but thought hard. From the age of ten, Ivan worked in a coffee shop, helping his family, which did not prevent him from growing up as an intelligent and talented child.
As a child, Aivazovsky himself learned to play the violin, and, of course, he constantly painted. Fate brought him together with the Feodosia architect Yakov Koch, and this moment is considered to be a turning point, defining in the biography of the future brilliant marine painter. Noticing the artistic abilities of the boy, Koch supplied the young artist with pencils, paints and paper, and gave the first drawing lessons. The second patron of Ivan was the mayor of Feodosia Alexander Kaznacheev. The governor appreciated Vanya's skillful playing on the violin, because he himself often played music.
In 1830 Kaznacheev sent Aivazovsky to the Simferopol gymnasium. In Simferopol, the wife of the Taurida governor, Natalya Naryshkina, drew attention to a talented child. Ivan began to visit her house often, and the secular lady put at his disposal her library, a collection of engravings, books on painting and art. The boy worked incessantly, copied famous works, drew sketches, sketches.
With the assistance of the portrait painter Salvator Tonchi, Naryshkina turned to Olenin, president of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, with a request to place the boy in the academy with full board. In the letter, she described in detail Aivazovsky's talents, his life situation and attached drawings. Olenin appreciated the talent of the young man, and soon Ivan was enrolled in the Academy of Arts with the personal permission of the emperor, who also saw the drawings sent.
At the age of 13, Ivan Aivazovsky became the youngest student of the Academy in Vorobyov's landscape class. An experienced teacher immediately appreciated the full magnitude and power of Aivazovsky's talent and, to the best of his ability and ability, gave the young man a classical art education, a kind of theoretical and practical basis for a virtuoso painter, which Ivan Konstantinovich soon became.
Very quickly, the student surpassed the teacher, and Vorobyov recommended Aivazovsky to Philip Tanner, a French marine painter who arrived in St. Petersburg. Tanner and Aivazovsky did not get along. The Frenchman dumped all the rough work on the student, but Ivan still found time for his own paintings.
Painting
In 1836, an exhibition was held, where the works of Tanner and the young Aivazovsky were presented. One of the works of Ivan Konstantinovich was awarded a silver medal, he was also praised by one metropolitan newspaper, while the Frenchman was reproached for mannerisms. Philip, burning with anger and envy, complained to the emperor about a disobedient student who did not have the right to exhibit his work at an exhibition without the knowledge of the teacher.
Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "The Ninth Wave" Formally, the Frenchman was right, and Nikolai ordered the paintings to be removed from the exhibition, and Aivazovsky himself fell out of favor at court. The talented artist was supported by the best minds of the capital, with whom he managed to make acquaintance: the president of the Academy, Olenin. As a result, the case was decided in favor of Ivan, for whom Alexander Sauerweid, who taught painting to the imperial offspring, stood up.
Nicholas awarded Aivazovsky and even sent him along with his son Konstantin to the Baltic Fleet. The Tsarevich studied the basics of maritime affairs and fleet management, and Aivazovsky specialized in the artistic side of the issue (it is difficult to write battle scenes and ships without knowing their structure).
Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Rainbow" Sauerweid became Aivazovsky's teacher in the class of battle painting. A few months later, in September 1837, a talented student received a gold medal for the painting "Calm", after which the leadership of the Academy decided to release the artist from the educational institution, since it could no longer give him anything.
Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Moonlit night on the Bosphorus" At the age of 20, Ivan Aivazovsky became the youngest graduate of the Academy of Arts (according to the rules, he was supposed to study for another three years) and went on a paid trip: first to his native Crimea for two years, and then to Europe for six years. The happy artist returned to his native Feodosia, then traveled around the Crimea, participated in the amphibious landing in Circassia. During this time, he painted many works, including peaceful seascapes and battle scenes.
Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Moonlit night on Capri" After a short stay in St. Petersburg in 1840, Aivazovsky left for Venice, from there to Florence and Rome. During this trip, Ivan Konstantinovich met with his elder brother Gabriel, a monk on the island of St. Lazarus, met with. In Italy, the artist studied the works of great masters and wrote a lot himself. Everywhere he exhibited his paintings, many sold out immediately.
Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Chaos" His masterpiece "Chaos" wished to buy the Pope himself. Hearing about this, Ivan Konstantinovich personally presented the painting to the pontiff. Touched by Gregory XVI, he presented the painter with a gold medal, and the fame of a talented marine painter thundered throughout Europe. Then the artist visited Switzerland, Holland, England, Portugal and Spain. On the way home, the ship on which Aivazovsky sailed fell into a storm, a terrible storm broke out. For some time there were rumors that the marine painter died, but, fortunately, he managed to return home safe and sound.
Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "The Storm" Aivazovsky had the happy fate of making acquaintance and even friendship with many prominent people of that era. The artist was closely acquainted with Nikolai Raevsky, Kiprensky, Bryullov, Zhukovsky, not to mention friendship with the imperial family. And yet, connections, wealth, fame did not appeal to the artist. The main things in his life have always been family, ordinary people, favorite work.
Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Chesme battle" Having become rich and famous, Aivazovsky did a lot for his native Feodosia: he founded an art school and an art gallery, a museum of antiquities, sponsored the construction of a railway, a city water supply, fed from his personal source. Towards the end of his life, Ivan Konstantinovich remained as active and active as in his youth: he visited America with his wife, worked hard, helped people, was engaged in charity work, beautification of his native city and teaching.
Personal life
The personal life of the great painter is full of ups and downs. In his destiny there were three loves, three women. Aivazovsky's first love, a dancer from Venice, world celebrity Maria Taglioni, was 13 years older than him. The artist in love went to Venice for his muse, but the relationship was short-lived: the dancer preferred ballet to the love of the young man.
In 1848, Ivan Konstantinovich, out of great love, married Julia Grevs, the daughter of an Englishman who was the court physician of Nicholas I. The young people left for Feodosia, where they played a magnificent wedding. In this marriage, Aivazovsky had four daughters: Alexandra, Maria, Elena and Zhanna.
In the photo, the family looks happy, but the idyll was short-lived. After the birth of her daughters, the wife changed in character, having suffered a nervous illness. Julia wanted to live in the capital, go to balls, give parties, lead a secular life, and the heart of the artist belonged to Feodosia and ordinary people. As a result, the marriage ended in divorce, which at that time happened infrequently. With difficulty, the artist managed to maintain relations with his daughters and their families: a grumpy wife turned the girls against their father.
The artist met his last love already at an advanced age: in 1881 he was 65 years old, and his chosen one was only 25 years old. Anna Nikitichna Sarkizova became Aivazovsky's wife in 1882 and was with him until the very end. Her beauty is immortalized by her husband in the painting "Portrait of the Artist's Wife".
Death
The great marine painter, who became a world celebrity at the age of 20, died at his home in Feodosia at the age of 82, in 1900. The unfinished painting "Explosion of the Ship" remained on the easel.
The best paintings
- "The Ninth Wave";
- "Shipwreck";
- "Night in Venice";
- "Brig Mercury attacked by two Turkish ships";
- “Moonlit night in the Crimea. Gurzuf";
- "Moonlit night on Capri";
- "Moonlit night on the Bosphorus";
- "Walking on the waters";
- "Chesme battle";
- "Moon Path"
- "Bosphorus on a moonlit night";
- “A.S. Pushkin on the Black Sea";
- "Rainbow";
- "Sunrise in the harbor";
- "Ship in the middle of a storm";
- "Chaos. World creation;
- "Calm";
- "Venetian night";
- "Global flood".
The most outstanding Armenian artist of the 19th century. Brother of the Armenian historian and priest Gabriel Aivazovsky.
The origin of the Aivazovsky family
Hovhannes (Ivan) Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was born into 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 had "Hovhannes, the son of Gevorg Ayvazyan." Aivazovsky's ancestors were from the Galician Armenians who moved to Galicia from Turkish 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 says about his father, that due to a quarrel with his brothers in his youth, he moved from Galicia to the Danubian principalities (Moldavia, Wallachia), where he engaged in trade, from there to Feodosia; knew several languages.
Most sources attribute only Armenian origin to Aivazovsky. 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), he 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
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 from this marriage three daughters and two sons were born - 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 discovered artistic and musical abilities from childhood; in particular, he taught himself to play the violin. Theodosian architect - Kokh Yakov Khristianovich, who was the first to pay attention to the artistic abilities of the boy, gave him the first lessons in craftsmanship. 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. After graduating from the Feodosia district school, with the help of the mayor, who at that time was already an admirer of the talent of the future artist, he was enrolled in the Simferopol gymnasium. Then he was accepted at public expense to the Imperial Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg. 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. This gave him the right to a two-year trip to the Crimea and Europe.
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 and even participated in hostilities on the coast of Circassia, where, watching the landing in the valley of the Shakhe River from the shore, he made sketches for the painting “Landing of a detachment in the Subashi Valley” (so then the Circassians 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.
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. Lazar, where he met with his brother Gabriel. 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 for only short periods of time, and in the studio he restored the landscape, leaving a wide scope for improvisation. 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. The journey as a whole lasted four years. In the autumn of 1844 he returned to Russia.
Later career
In 1844 he became a painter of the Main Naval Staff (without financial assistance), 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 Aivazovsky painted mainly seascapes; created a series of portraits of the Crimean coastal towns. His career has been very successful. He was awarded many orders and received the rank of Rear Admiral. In total, the artist wrote more than 6 thousand works.
Since 1845 he lived in Feodosia, where he opened an art school with the money he earned, which later became one of the art centers of Novorossia, and a gallery (1880), became the founder of the Cimmerian school of painting, was the initiator of the construction of the Feodosia - Dzhankoy railway, built in 1892. Actively engaged in the affairs of the city, its improvement, contributed to prosperity. He was interested in archeology, dealt with the protection of Crimean monuments, took part in the study of more than 80 burial mounds (some of the items found are stored in the Hermitage pantry).
At his own expense, he built a new building for the Feodosia Museum of Antiquities with a memorial to P. S. Kotlyarevsky; for services to archeology, he was elected a full member of the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities.
On April 12, 1895, the great marine painter 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. For the Palestine Society, which was led by Ippolit Ilyich Tchaikovsky (brother of the great composer), Aivazovsky donated his painting "Walking on the Waters", which was placed in chapel.
Last days of life
Before his death, Aivazovsky painted a picture called “Sea Bay”, and on the last day of his life he began to paint the picture “The Explosion of a Turkish Ship”, which remained unfinished.
This is how the last day is described on the website of the Feodosia Art Gallery. I. K. Aivazovsky:
A 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.
The second wife is Anna Nikitichna Sarkisova.
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.
- Yulia Yakovlevna Grevs
- Elena + Peolopid Latri
- Latri, Mikhail Pelopidovich, artist
- Alexander Latry (with the blessing of Nicholas II, the only one of his grandchildren received permission to bear the name of the great painter).
- Sofia Latri + (1) Novoselsky + (2) Prince Iveriko Mikeladze
- Olga Novoselskaya + Stefan Asford Sanford. Son: Henry Sanford
- Gayane Mikeladze
- Maria (Mariam) + Wilhelm Lvovich Ganzen
- Ganzen, Alexei Vasilievich "", marine painter. + Olympics
- Alexandra + Mikhail Lampsi. 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, Tatyana
- Ivan Lampsy
- Zhanna, married Artseulov
- Konstantin Artseulov, Russian pilot and illustrator.
- Elena + Peolopid Latri
- Anna Nikitichna Sarkisova
According to some reports, Aivazovsky had an illegitimate daughter.
Brother, possibly Grigory Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, collegiate assessor since 1853, captain of the Feodosia quarantine port (as of 1858, salaries, canteens and apartments - 798 rubles).
Gallery
Aivazovsky's house, later an art gallery, was designed personally by Aivazovsky in 1845, and in 1880 the artist opened his own exhibition hall. Ivan Konstantinovich exhibited his paintings in it, which were supposed to leave Feodosia. This year is officially considered the year the gallery was founded.
According to his will, the art gallery was donated to Feodosia. In the Feodosiya art gallery founded by him, which now bears his name, the work of the great master is most fully represented. The archive of Aivazovsky's documents is stored in the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the State Public Library. M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (St. Petersburg), the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Theater Museum. A. A. Bakhrushina.
Creation
Aivazovsky was especially famous not only in Russia, but also in Turkey. His acquaintance with the Ottoman Empire began in 1845. The Mediterranean geographical expedition led by F. P. Litke, which included Ivan Konstantinovich, went to the shores of Turkey and Asia Minor. Then Istanbul conquered the artist. After the end of the expedition, he wrote a large number of works, including those with views of the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
After the end of the war in 1856, on his way from France, where his works were exhibited at an international exhibition, Aivazovsky visited Istanbul for the second time. He was warmly welcomed by the local Armenian diaspora, and also, under the patronage of the court architect Sarkis Balyan, was received by Sultan Abdul-Mejid I. By that time, the Sultan's collection already had one painting by Aivazovsky. As a sign of admiration for his work, the Sultan awarded Ivan Konstantinovich with the Order of Nishan Ali, IV degree.
The third trip to Istanbul, at the invitation of the Armenian diaspora, I. K. Aivazovsky makes in 1874. Many artists of Istanbul, 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 Istanbul 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. Before the departure of Ivan Konstantinovich, an official reception was arranged for the padishah in honor of awarding him the Order of Osmania II degree.
A year later, Aivazovsky again goes to the Sultan and brings him two paintings as a gift: “View of St. Petersburg from the Holy Trinity Bridge” and “Winter in Moscow” (these paintings are currently in the collection of the Dolmabahce Palace Museum).
Another war with Turkey ended in 1878. The San Stefano peace treaty was signed in a hall whose walls were decorated with paintings by a Russian artist. It was a symbol of future good relations between Turkey and Russia.
Paintings by I. K. Aivazovsky, who were in Turkey, were repeatedly exhibited in various exhibitions. In 1880, an exhibition of the artist's paintings was held in the building of the Russian embassy. Upon its completion, Sultan Abdul-Hamid II presented I.K. Aivazovsky with a diamond medal.
In 1881, the owner of the art store Ulman Grombach held an exhibition of works by famous masters: Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Breigl, Aivazovsky, Jerome. In 1882, an art exhibition of I.K. Aivazovsky and the Turkish artist Oskan Efendi took place here. The exhibitions were a huge success.
In 1888, another exhibition was held in Istanbul, organized by Levon Mazirov (nephew of I. K. Aivazovsky), which presented 24 paintings by the artist. Half of the proceeds from her went to charity. Just these years account for the first graduation of the Ottoman Academy of Arts. Aivazovsky’s style of writing is traced in the works of the Academy graduates: “The sinking of the Ertugrul ship in Tokyo Bay” by the artist Osman Nuri Pasha, the painting “The Ship” by Ali Jemal, some marinas of Diyarbakir Tahsin.
In 1890 was the last
A year later, the priest of the Armenian church in the city of Feodosia recorded that Konstantin (Gevorg) Gayvazovsky and his wife Repsime had "Hovhannes, the son of Gevorg Ayvazyan." A native of southern Poland - Galicia - Gevorg Ayvazyan wrote his name and surname in the Polish way - Konstantin Aivazovsky.
I. K. Aivazovsky himself once recalled his origin, in the circle of his family, the following interesting and, therefore, quite reliable legend. The story presented here was originally recorded from his words and is kept in the artist's family archives.
“I was born in the city of Feodosia in 1817, but the real homeland of my close ancestors, my father, was far from here, not in Russia. Who would have thought that the war - this all-destroying scourge, served to ensure that my life was preserved and that I saw the light and was born precisely on the shores of my beloved Black Sea. And yet it was so. In 1770, the Russian army, led by Rumyantsev, laid siege to Bendery. The fortress was taken, and the Russian soldiers, irritated by the stubborn resistance and death of their comrades, scattered around the city and, listening only to the feeling of revenge, spared neither gender nor age.
“Among their victims was the secretary of the Pasha of Bendery. Mortally struck by one Russian grenadier, he was bleeding, clutching a baby in his arms, who was preparing the same fate. The Russian bayonet was already raised over the young Turk, when one Armenian held his punishing hand with an exclamation: “Stop! This is my son! He is a Christian!” The noble lie worked for salvation, and the child was spared. This child was my father. The good Armenian did not end his beneficence with this, he became the second father of a Muslim orphan, christening him under the name of Konstantin and giving him the surname Gayvazovsky, from the word Gayzov, which in Turkish means secretary.
Having lived for a long time with his benefactor in Galicia, Konstantin Aivazovsky finally settled in Feodosia, where he married a young beautiful southerner, also an Armenian, and at first engaged in successful trading operations..
