Ivan Aivazovsky. Aul Gunib in Dagestan.
View from the east side.
1867. Oil on canvas.

In 1868 Aivazovsky undertook a journey to the Caucasus. He painted the foothills of the Caucasus with a pearl chain of snowy mountains on the horizon, panoramas of mountain ranges stretching into the distance like petrified waves, the Darial Gorge and the village of Gunib, lost among the rocky mountains, the last nest of Shamil. In Armenia, he painted Lake Sevan and the Ararat Valley. He created several beautiful paintings depicting the Caucasus Mountains from the eastern coast of the Black Sea.

Ivan Aivazovsky and Ilya Repin. Pushkin by the sea
(Pushkin's farewell to the Black Sea).
1887. Oil on canvas.
Central Pushkin Museum. Pushkin, Russia.

From a series of great masters of the brush, a master appeared who devoted his entire talent to the "free element", as Pushkin dubbed the sea, and became its devoted singer. This master was Ivan Aivazovsky.

At one of the academic exhibitions in St. Petersburg (1836), two artists met - a pen artist and a brush artist. Acquaintance with Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin made an indelible impression on the young Aivazovsky. “Since then, the poet I already loved has become the subject of my thoughts, inspiration and long conversations and stories about him,” the artist recalled. Pushkin spoke with great approval of the work of a talented student of the Academy of Arts. 

Aivazovsky worshiped the talent of the greatest Russian poet all his life, dedicating a whole cycle of paintings to him later (around 1880). In them, he combined the poetry of the sea with the image of the poet.

The painting Farewell to the Black Sea by A.S. Pushkin was created in the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the death of A.S. Pushkin. Aivazovsky worked on this picture in collaboration with Ilya Efimovich Repin. Repin painted the figure of Pushkin in this picture, Aivazovsky painted the landscape background. This is one of the best pictures on the subject of Pushkin.

In the same year, another painting by Pushkin was painted on the Black Sea coast. Later, in 1899, Aivazovsky painted a picture of Pushkin in the Crimea near the Gurzuf rocks.

Ivan Aivazovsky. Pushkin on the Black Sea coast.
1887. Oil on canvas.
Nikolaev Art Museum
them. V. Vereshchagin, Russia.

At one of the academic exhibitions in St. Petersburg (1836), two artists met - a pen artist and a brush artist. Acquaintance with Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin made an indelible impression on the young Aivazovsky. “Since then, the poet I already loved has become the subject of my thoughts, inspiration and long conversations and stories about him,” the artist recalled. Pushkin spoke with great approval of the work of a talented student of the Academy of Arts.

Aivazovsky worshiped the talent of the greatest Russian poet all his life, dedicating a whole cycle of paintings to him later (around 1880). In them, he combined the poetry of the sea with the image of the poet. The painting Pushkin on the Black Sea was created in the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the death of A.S. Pushkin. In the same year, another was written - one of the best paintings on the Pushkin theme - A.S. Pushkin's Farewell to the Black Sea, on which I.K. Aivazovsky worked in collaboration with I.E. Repin. (Repin painted the figure of Pushkin in this picture, Aivazovsky painted the landscape background).

Later, in 1899, Aivazovsky painted a picture of Pushkin in the Crimea near the Gurzuf rocks.

Ivan Aivazovsky. Pushkin in the Crimea near the Gurzuf rocks.
1899. Oil on canvas.
Odessa Art Museum, Odessa, Ukraine.

Aivazovsky had his own established system of creative work. “A painter who only copies nature,” he said, “becomes her slave ... 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 ... An artist must memorize them ... The plot of the paintings is formed in my memory, as at the 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 a brush ... "

The comparison of the methods of work of the artist and the poet is not accidental here. The poetry of A.S. Pushkin had a great influence on the formation of Aivazovsky’s work, therefore Pushkin’s stanzas often appear in our memory before Aivazovsky’s paintings. The creative imagination of Aivazovsky in the process of work was not constrained by anything. Creating his works, he relied only on his truly extraordinary visual memory and poetic imagination.

Aivazovsky worshiped the talent of the greatest Russian poet all his life, dedicating a whole cycle of paintings to him later (around 1880). The picture of Pushkin in the Crimea at the Gurzuf rocks was painted in 1899, and before that, in 1887, in the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the death of A. S. Pushkin, two wonderful paintings of Pushkin on the Black Sea and A. S. Pushkin's Farewell were created with the Black Sea.

Ivan Aivazovsky. Rainbow.
1873. Oil on canvas.

In 1873 Aivazovsky created outstanding painting Rainbow. In the plot of this picture - a storm at sea and a ship dying near a rocky shore - there is nothing unusual for Aivazovsky's work. But its colorful range, pictorial execution were a completely new phenomenon in Russian painting of the seventies. Depicting this storm, Aivazovsky showed it as if he himself was among the raging waves. A hurricane blows the mist off their crests. As if through a rushing whirlwind, the silhouette of a sinking ship and the indistinct outlines of a rocky shore are barely visible.

The clouds in the sky dissolved into a transparent wet shroud. Through this chaos, a stream of sunlight made its way, laying down like a rainbow on the water, giving the color of the picture a multi-colored coloring. The whole picture is written in the finest shades of blue, green, pink and purple colors. The same tones, slightly enhanced in color, convey the rainbow itself. It flickers with a barely perceptible mirage. From this, the rainbow acquired that transparency, softness and purity of color, which always delights and enchants us in nature. The painting "Rainbow" was a new, higher level in the work of Aivazovsky.

Regarding one of these paintings by Aivazovsky F.M. Dostoevsky wrote: "The storm ... of Mr. Aivazovsky ... is amazingly good, like all his storms, and here he is a master - without rivals ... There is rapture in his storm, there is that eternal beauty that amazes the viewer in a living, real storm ..."

Ivan Aivazovsky. Fishermen on the seashore.
1852. Oil on canvas.

"The sea is my life," said the artist. He had the ability to convey the movement and breath of the sea.

Aivazovsky loved the sea since childhood and managed to create a truthful and poetic image of the boundless elements, the romantic perception of which he always remained true to.

The master was distinguished by unusual pictorial thinking. On the canvas, the artist creates bright combinations that amaze with their magnificent decorative sound. You perceive such works as a symphony of colors, as a song to beauty. "If I lived another three hundred years," the artist said, "I would always find something new in the sea."

Often in the paintings of Aivazovsky you can see people admiring the majestic beauty of nature. The artist sees in man an integral part of the universe. His "fictional" romantic characters are self-portraits in their own way.

The artist discovered his method of drawing from memory, even without sketches, limiting himself to only cursory pencil sketches. Justifying this method, the artist said: "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."

As a child, he played on the shores of his native Feodosia, and from childhood, the emerald game of the Black Sea surf sunk into his soul. Subsequently, no matter how much he painted any seas, he still got clear green water with purple laces of foam, characteristic of his native Euxine Pontus. The most vivid impressions were connected with the sea; probably that's why he devoted all his work to the image of the sea. With equal force could convey the brilliance of the sun's rays sparkling on the water, the transparency sea ​​depth and snow-white foam of waves. 

The works of Aivazovsky stood out among the works of contemporary painters for their coloristic qualities. In the 1840s, during an exhibition in Berlin, a reviewer of a local newspaper explained the increased sound of color in the works of the Russian artist by the fact that he was deaf and mute, and this shortcoming was compensated by heightened vision.

Strict critic I.N. Kramskoy wrote to P. M. Tretyakov: "Aivazovsky probably has the secret of composing paints, and even the paints themselves are secret; I have not seen such bright and pure tones even on the shelves of Muscat shops."

Aivazovsky was influenced by the Dutch marine painters of the 17th century, came to the "watercolor" technique of painting, when the color is superimposed on the canvas in thin overlapping layers. This made it possible to transmit the most insignificant color tonal gradations.

Aivazovsky began to paint a picture, depicting the sky, or as he called it after his teacher at the Academy of Arts M. N. Vorobyov - air. Whatever the size of the canvas, Aivazovsky wrote "air" in one session, even if it stretched up to 12 hours in a row. It was with such a titanic effort that the transfer of airiness and integrity was achieved. colors sky. The desire to complete the picture as quickly as possible was dictated by the desire not to lose the unity of the mood of the motive, to convey to the viewer a stopped moment from the life of a moving sea element. The water in his paintings is an endless ocean, not stormy, but swaying, harsh, endless. And the sky, if possible, even more infinite.

“The plot of the picture,” the artist said, “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 do not leave the canvas until I express myself on it with my brush.”

Speaking about his paintings, Aivazovsky remarked: "Those paintings in which the main force is the light of the sun ... must be considered the best."

Azure sea:
1843.

Canvas, oil.

Fishermen on the seashore.

1852. Oil on canvas.

National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia.

Calm sea

1863. Oil on canvas.

National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia.

Ivan Aivazovsky. Sinop battle. The night after the battle.
1853. Oil on canvas.
Central Naval Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

A special place in the legacy of Aivazovsky is occupied by works dedicated to the exploits of the Russian fleet, which constituted its original historical chronicle, starting from the battles of the time of Peter I and ending with the contemporary events of the Crimean War of 1853-1856 and the Russian-Turkish 1877-1878 for the liberation of the Balkans. Since 1844, Aivazovsky was a painter of the Main Naval Staff.

November 18, 1853, during the Crimean War of 1853-1856, a naval battle took place between the Russian and Turkish squadrons in the Sinop Bay. The Turkish squadron of Osman Pasha left Constantinople for a landing operation in the Sukhum-Kale region and made a stop in the Sinop Bay. The Russian Black Sea Fleet had the task of preventing the active actions of the enemy. A squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral P.S. Nakhimov (3 battleships) during cruising duty discovered the Turkish squadron and blocked it in the bay. Help was requested from Sevastopol. By the time of the battle, the Russian squadron had 6 battleships and 2 frigates, and the Turkish squadron had 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, 2 steam frigates, 2 brigs, 2 transports. The Russians had 720 guns, and the Turks - 510. As a result of the battle, which lasted 4 hours, the entire Turkish fleet (with the exception of the Taif steamer) was destroyed. The Turks lost more than 3 thousand people killed and drowned, about 200 people. were captured (including the commander of the fleet). The Russians lost 37 people. killed and 235 wounded. With the victory in the Sinop Bay, the Russian fleet gained complete dominance in the Black Sea and thwarted the plans for the landing of the Turks in the Caucasus.

As soon as Aivazovsky heard the rumor about Sinop battle, he immediately went to Sevastopol, asked the participants in the battle about all the circumstances of the case. Soon, two paintings by Aivazovsky were exhibited in Sevastopol, depicting the Sinop battle at night and during the day. These were the paintings of the Naval Battle of Sinop on November 18, 1853 and the Battle of Sinop. The night after the battle.

The exhibition was visited by Admiral Nakhimov; highly appreciating the work of Aivazovsky, especially the picture of the Battle of Sinop. The night after the battle. He said: "The picture is extremely well done."

Having visited the besieged Sevastopol, Aivazovsky also painted a number of paintings dedicated to the heroic defense of the city.

Ivan Aivazovsky. Calm sea.
1863. Oil on canvas.
National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia.

The sea was his element. Only he was opened the soul of the artist. Each time standing at the easel, Aivazovsky gave free rein to his imagination. And the canvas embodied exactly what he saw in advance with his inner eye.

Thus, Aivazovsky entered contemporary art, guided by his own laws of artistic worldview. The artistic thinking of the master is decorative; it is due to his childhood, his blood, his lineage. Decorativeness does not interfere at all, but contributes to Aivazovsky in his precise emotional characteristics of the depicted. The perfection of the result is achieved by the virtuosity of the most extraordinary tonal nuances. Here he has no equal, which is why he was compared with Paganini. Aivazovsky - maestro of tone. The canons of the European school assimilated by him are superimposed on his natural, purely national decorative flair. This unity of the two principles allows the artist to achieve such a convincing saturation of the light-air atmosphere, and a melodious color harmony. Perhaps it is precisely in the uniqueness of such a merger that the magical appeal of his paintings lies.

Ivan Aivazovsky. Among the waves.
1898. Oil on canvas.
Aivazovsky Art Gallery, Feodosiya, Ukraine.

In continuous communication with the sea - a symbol of freedom, space - a long and glorious life of the master passed. And the sea, sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent or stormy, generously gave him an inexhaustible wealth of impressions. Aivazovsky painted the picture Among the Waves, which was the pinnacle of his work, when he was 80 years old.

“Above the abyss, gray furious waves rush about. They are immense, they rush upward in anger, but black, lead clouds, driven by a storm wind, hang over the abyss, and here, as in an ominous hellish cauldron, the elements rule. The sea is bubbling, bubbling, foaming. Shaft crests sparkle. none alive soul, even a free bird, does not dare to see the rampant storm ... Deserted ...

Only a great artist could see and remember this truly planetary moment when you believe in the primordial existence of our Earth. And through the roar and roar of the storm, a ray of sunshine breaks through with a quiet melody of joy, and somewhere in the distance a narrow strip of light glimmers ”(I.V. Dolgopolov).

The artist depicted a raging element - a stormy sky and a stormy sea covered with waves, as if boiling in collision with one another. He abandoned the usual details in his paintings in the form of fragments of masts and dying ships, lost in the boundless sea. He knew many ways to dramatize the plots of his paintings, but did not resort to any of them while working on this work. Among the waves, as it were, the Black Sea continues to reveal in time the content of the picture: if in one case an agitated sea is depicted, in the other it is already raging, at the moment of the highest formidable state of the sea element. The mastery of the painting Among the waves is the fruit of a long and hard work of the artist's entire life. Work on it proceeded quickly and easily. Obedient to the hand of the artist, the brush sculpted exactly the shape that the artist wanted, and laid the paint on the canvas in the way that the experience of skill and the instinct of a great artist, who did not correct the brushstroke once put, prompted him.

Apparently, Aivazovsky himself was aware that the painting Among the Waves is much higher in terms of execution of all previous works of recent years. Despite the fact that after its creation he worked for another two years, arranged exhibitions of his works in Moscow, London and St. Petersburg, he did not take this picture out of Feodosia, he bequeathed it, along with other works that were in his art gallery, to his native city of Feodosia.

Until old age last days Aivazovsky's life was full of new ideas that excited him as if he were not an eighty-year-old highly experienced master who painted six thousand paintings, but a young, novice artist who had just embarked on the path of art. For the lively active nature of the artist and the preserved unblunted feelings, his answer to the question of one of his friends is characteristic: which of all the paintings painted by the master himself considers the best. “The one,” Aivazovsky answered without hesitation, “that stands on the easel in the workshop, which I began to paint today ...”

In his correspondence of recent years there are lines that speak of the deep excitement that accompanied his work. At the end of a large business letter in 1894, there are these words: "Forgive me for writing on pieces (of paper). I am painting a big picture and am terribly worried." In another letter (1899): "I have written a lot this year. 82 years make me hurry ..." He was at the age when he was clearly aware that his time was running out, but he continued to work with ever-increasing energy.

Ivan Aivazovsky. Sinking ship.
1854. Papier pellet, graphite pencil, colored pencil, scratched.
State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Speaking about the work of Aivazovsky, one cannot help but dwell on the great graphic heritage left by the master.

One of the best graphic works of the artist is the picture of the sinking ship.

During his long life, Aivazovsky made a number of trips: he visited Italy, Paris and other European cities several times, worked in the Caucasus, sailed to the shores of Asia Minor, was in Egypt, and at the end of his life, in 1898, made a long journey to America . During sea voyages, he enriched his observations, and drawings accumulated in his folders.

Aivazovsky always painted a lot and willingly. His drawings are of great interest both in terms of their artistic execution and for understanding the artist's creative method. Among pencil drawings distinguished by their mature craftsmanship are works dating back to the forties, by the time of his academic trip of 1840-1844 and sailing off the coast of Asia Minor and the Archipelago in the summer of 1845.

In the 1840s, Aivazovsky worked extensively in southern Russia, mainly in the Crimea. There he created a graphic series of sea views in sepia technique. The artist made a light sketch of the landscape with a graphite pencil and then painted in sepia, the brownish color of which varied subtly from saturated to light, completely transparent. To convey the brilliance of the water surface or sea foam, the artist often used whitewash or scratched the top layer of specially primed paper, which created an additional light effect. One of these works View of the city of Nikolaev is in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

The drawings of this pore are harmonious in terms of the compositional distribution of masses and are distinguished by a strict elaboration of details. The large size of the sheet and graphic completeness speak of the great importance that Aivazovsky attached to drawings made from nature. These were mostly images of coastal cities. With sharp hard graphite, Aivazovsky painted city buildings clinging to the ledges of mountains, receding into the distance, or individual buildings he liked, arranging them into landscapes. Using the simplest graphic means - a line, almost without using chiaroscuro, he achieved the finest effects and an accurate transfer of volume and space. The drawings he made during his travels always helped him in his creative work. In his youth, he often used drawings to compose paintings without any changes. Later, he freely processed them, and often they served him only as the first impetus for the implementation of creative ideas. The second half of Aivazovsky's life is a large number of drawings made in a free broad manner. IN last period creativity, when Aivazovsky made cursory travel sketches, he began to draw freely, reproducing with a line all the curves of the form, often barely touching soft pencil paper. His drawings, having lost their former graphic rigor and distinctness, acquired new pictorial qualities.

As it crystallized creative method Aivazovsky and accumulated vast creative experience and skill, in the process of the artist's work there was a noticeable shift that affected his preparatory drawings. Now he creates a sketch of the future work from his imagination, and not from a natural drawing, as he did in the early period of creativity. Not always, of course, Aivazovsky was immediately satisfied with the solution found in the sketch. There are three versions of the sketch for his latest painting "Explosion of the ship". He strove for the best composition solution even in the drawing format: two drawings were made in a horizontal rectangle and one in a vertical one. All three are made with a cursory stroke, conveying the scheme of the composition. Such drawings seem to illustrate the words of Aivazovsky related to the method of his work: "Having sketched a plan of the picture I conceived with a pencil on a piece of paper, I set to work and, so to speak, give myself to it with all my heart." Aivazovsky's graphics enrich and expand our familiar understanding of his work and his peculiar method of work. For graphic works, Aivazovsky used a variety of materials and techniques.

The sixties include a number of finely painted watercolors, made in one color - sepia. Using usually a light filling of the sky with highly diluted paint, barely outlining the clouds, slightly touching the water, Aivazovsky laid out the foreground widely, in a dark tone, painted the mountains of the background and painted a boat or ship on the water in a deep sepia tone. With such simple means, he sometimes conveyed all the charm of a bright sunny day on the sea, the rolling of a transparent wave on the shore, the radiance of light clouds over the deep sea distance. In terms of the height of skill and subtlety of the transmitted state of nature, such sepia by Aivazovsky go far beyond the usual idea of ​​watercolor sketches.

In 1860, Aivazovsky painted this kind of beautiful sepia "The Sea after the Storm." Aivazovsky was apparently satisfied with this watercolor, as he sent it as a gift to P.M. Tretyakov. Aivazovsky widely used coated paper, drawing on which he achieved virtuoso skill. These drawings include "The Tempest", created in 1855. The drawing was made on paper, tinted in the upper part with warm pink, and in the lower part with steel gray. With various methods of scratching the tinted chalk layer, Aivazovsky well conveyed the foam on the crests of the wave and the glare on the water. Aivazovsky also masterfully drew with pen and ink.

Ivan Aivazovsky. Chaos. World creation.
1841. Oil on paper.
Museum of the Armenian Congregation of Mkhitarists.
Island of St. Lazarus, Venice.

After graduating with a gold medal of the first degree, Aivazovsky received the right to travel abroad as a pensioner of the academy. And in 1840 he left for Italy.

The artist worked in Italy with great enthusiasm and created about fifty large paintings here. Exhibited in Naples and Rome, they caused a real stir and glorified the young painter. Critics wrote that no one had ever portrayed light, air and water so vividly and authentically.

Painting Chaos. World creation. Aivazovsky was honored to enter the permanent exhibition of the Vatican Museum. Pope Gregory XVI awarded the artist a gold medal. On this occasion, Gogol jokingly said to the artist: "Your" Chaos "raised chaos in the Vatican."

The battle of Chesma is one of the most glorious and heroic pages in the history of the Russian fleet. Aivazovsky was not, and could not be, a witness to the event that took place on the night of June 26, 1770. But how convincingly and authentically he reproduced on his canvas the picture of a naval battle. Ships explode and burn, fragments of masts fly up to the sky, flames rise, and scarlet-gray smokes mix with clouds through which the moon looks at what is happening. Her cold and calm light only emphasizes hellish mixture on a sea of ​​fire and water. It seems that the artist himself, when creating a picture, experienced the rapture of the battle, where the Russian sailors won a brilliant victory.

1848. Oil on canvas.
Aivazovsky Art Gallery, Feodosiya, Ukraine.

Therefore, despite the fierceness of the battle, the picture leaves a major impression and resembles a grandiose fireworks display. The plot for this work was an episode of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. For decades, Russia has waged wars with Turkey for possession of the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Two Russian squadrons that left Kronstadt, after a long transition across the Baltic, passed the English Channel, rounded the shores of France and Portugal, passed Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean Sea. Here they met with the Turkish fleet, which was then considered the strongest in the world. After several military skirmishes, the Turkish raft took refuge in the Chesme Bay in a panic. Russian ships closed the exit from the bay and during the night battle almost completely burned and destroyed the Turkish fleet. On the Russian side, 11 sailors died, on the Turkish side, 10,000 people. 

It was an unprecedented victory in the history of naval battles. In memory of her, a medal was knocked out, Count Alexei Orlov, who commanded the squadrons, received the title of Chesmensky, and in Tsarskoye Selo Catherine II ordered that a monument to this battle be erected - the Chesme Column. It still stands proudly in the middle of the Big Pond. Its marble trunk is completed by an allegorical sculpture - a double-headed eagle breaking a marble crescent.

A painter of the Main Naval Staff (since 1844), Aivazovsky takes part in a number of military campaigns (including the Crimean War of 1853-1856), creating many pathetic battle paintings.

Aivazovsky's painting of the forties and fifties was marked by a strong influence of the romantic traditions of K.P. Bryullov, which affected not only the skill of painting, but also the very understanding of art and the worldview of Aivazovsky. Like Bryullov, he strives to create grandiose colorful paintings that can glorify Russian art. With Bryullov, Aivazovsky is related by brilliant painting skills, virtuoso technique, speed and courage of performance. This was very clearly reflected in one of the early battle paintings. Chesme battle, written by him in 1848, dedicated to an outstanding naval battle. Aivazovsky in the same 1848 painted a picture of the Battle in the Strait of Chios, which, with the Battle of Chesme, made up a kind of pair-diptych, glorifying the victories of the Russian fleet.

After the Chesme battle took place in 1770, Orlov wrote in his report to the Admiralty College: "... Honor to the All-Russian fleet. From June 25 to June 26, the enemy fleet (we) attacked, defeated, broke, burned, let it go to heaven, into ashes turned ... and they themselves began to be dominant in the entire archipelago ... "The pathos of this report, pride in the outstanding feat of Russian sailors, the joy of the victory achieved was beautifully conveyed by Aivazovsky in his picture. At the first glance at the picture, we are seized by a feeling of joyful excitement as from a festive spectacle - a brilliant firework. And only with a detailed examination of the picture becomes clear the plot side of it. The fight is depicted at night. In the depths of the bay, burning ships of the Turkish fleet are visible, one of them at the time of the explosion. Enveloped in fire and smoke, the wreckage of the ship is flying into the air, which has turned into a huge blazing bonfire. And on the side, in the foreground, the flagship of the Russian fleet rises in a dark silhouette, to which, saluting, a boat approaches with the team of Lieutenant Ilyin, who blew up his firewall among the Turkish flotilla. And if we get closer to the picture, we will distinguish on the water the wreckage of Turkish ships with groups of sailors calling for help, and other details.

Aivazovsky was the last and most prominent representative the romantic trend in Russian painting, and these features of his art were especially evident when he painted sea battles full of heroic pathos; they could hear that "battle music", without which the battle picture is devoid of emotional impact.

Ivan Aivazovsky. Black Sea
(A storm begins to play out on the Black Sea).
1881. Oil on canvas.
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.

The artist worked tirelessly until the last days of his life. The sublime, elevated emotional perception of nature was preserved by Aivazovsky until the end of his creative way. But in the 1870s-1880s, external showiness, increased brightness of color give way to calmer, softer ratios of colors. Storms and storms are replaced by the image of the sea in its usual state. The most successful landscapes of this time acquire psychological coloring and the inner significance of the image.

Aivazovsky was close to many Wanderers. The humanistic content of his art and brilliant craftsmanship were highly valued by Kramskoy, Repin, Stasov and Tretyakov. In terms of public importance art, Aivazovsky and the Wanderers had much in common. Long before organization traveling exhibitions Aivazovsky began to arrange exhibitions of his paintings in St. Petersburg, Moscow, as well as in many other big cities Russia. In 1880, Aivazovsky opened the first peripheral art gallery in Russia in Feodosia.

Under the influence of the advanced Russian art of the Wanderers in the work of Aivazovsky, realistic features which made his works even more expressive and meaningful. Apparently, therefore, it has become customary to consider Aivazovsky's paintings of the seventies the highest achievement in his work. Now for us it is quite clear the process of continuous growth of his skill and deepening of the content of the pictorial images of his works, which took place throughout his life.

In 1881, Aivazovsky created one of the most significant works - the picture of the Black Sea. Restrained tension and epic power excited the artist when creating such landscapes.

The painting depicts the sea on an overcast day; waves, arising at the horizon, move towards the viewer, creating by their alternation a majestic rhythm and sublime structure of the picture. It is written in a stingy, restrained color scheme that enhances its emotional impact. The picture testifies that Aivazovsky was able to see and feel the beauty of the sea element close to him, not only in external pictorial effects, but also in the barely perceptible strict rhythm of her breathing, in her clearly perceptible potential power. And, of course, in this picture he demonstrates his main gift: the ability to show the eternally moving water element permeated with light.

I. Kramskoy said about Aivazovsky's painting "The Black Sea": "This is an endless ocean, not stormy, but swaying, severe, endless. This is one of the most grandiose paintings that I know."

Wave and sky - two elements fill the entire space of the picture, somewhere far away is a small silhouette of a ship. Barely outlined with a brush, it already brings a human element to the landscape, sets the scale of the work and makes us, the viewers, accomplices of the image, empathizing not only with the elements of nature, but also with the person inside it. Moreover, the Black Sea itself is not calm. Aivazovsky called the picture "The Black Sea. A storm begins to play out on the Black Sea." Behind these words, some viewers saw in the picture the emerging revolutionary element, while others saw an emotional image that conveys emotional experiences, showing the inextricable connection between man and nature: the sea is worried, the rhythm of its waves is so accurately captured by the artist that the viewer begins to feel anxiety, "the breadth of breathing "of nature.

sea ​​waves like gems, absorb many shades of green and blue, they can no longer be called words. Transparent matter turns glassy before our eyes, it has frozen forever under the brush of the master. Foggy in the depths, luminous from within, it hides the underwater realm of mermaids and tritons, mysterious pearls and bizarre plants with a magical fabric.

"The Black Sea" is not the largest canvas in the artist's work, but it is the result of experiences, understanding of the beloved image of the elements and the pinnacle of Aivazovsky's skill.

Ivan Aivazovsky is a genius. His paintings are true masterpieces. And not even from the technical side. A surprisingly truthful display of the subtle nature of the water element comes to the fore here. Naturally, there is a desire to understand the nature of Aivazovsky's genius.

Any particle of fate was a necessary and inseparable addition to his talent. In this article, we will try to open the doors to the wonderful world one of the most famous marine painters in history - Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky.

It goes without saying that world-class painting presupposes the presence great talent. But marine painters have always stood apart. It is difficult to convey the aesthetics of the "big water". The difficulty here, first of all, is that it is on the canvases depicting the sea that falseness is most clearly felt.

Famous paintings by Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

The most interesting for you!

Family and hometown

Ivan's father was a sociable, enterprising and capable person. For a long time he lived in Galicia, later moved to Wallachia (modern Moldova). Perhaps for some time he traveled with a gypsy camp, because Konstantin spoke gypsy. In addition to him, by the way, this most curious person spoke Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, and Turkish.

In the end, fate brought him to Feodosia, which recently received the status of a free port. The city, which until recently had 350 inhabitants, has turned into a busy shopping center with a population of several thousand people.

From all over the south Russian Empire goods were delivered to the port of Feodosia, and goods from sunny Greece and bright Italy went back. Konstantin Grigorievich, not rich, but enterprising, successfully engaged in trade and married an Armenian woman named Hripsime. A year later, their son Gabriel was born. Konstantin and Hripsime were happy and even began to think about changing housing - a small house built upon arrival in the city became cramped.

But soon the Patriotic War of 1812 began, and after it the plague came to the city. At the same time, another son, Gregory, was born in the family. The affairs of Konstantin went down sharply, he went bankrupt. The need was so great that almost all valuable things had to be sold from the house. The father of the family took up litigious affairs. His beloved wife helped him a lot - Repsime was a skilled needlewoman and often embroidered all night long in order to later sell her products and support her family.

On July 17, 1817, Hovhannes was born, who became known to the whole world under the name of Ivan Aivazovsky (he changed his last name only in 1841, but we will call Ivan Konstantinovich that now, after all, he became famous as Aivazovsky). It cannot be said that his childhood was like a fairy tale. The family was poor and at the age of 10, Hovhannes went to work in a coffee shop. By that time, the older brother had gone to study in Venice, and the middle one was just getting an education at the district school.

Despite the work, the soul of the future artist really blossomed in the beautiful southern city. Not surprising! Theodosius, despite all the efforts of fate, did not want to lose her brightness. Armenians, Greeks, Turks, Tatars, Russians, Ukrainians - a hodgepodge of traditions, customs, languages ​​created a colorful backdrop for Feodosian life. But in the foreground was, of course, the sea. It is it that brings the very flavor that no one will be able to recreate artificially.

Vanya Aivazovsky's Incredible Luck

Ivan was a very capable child - he himself learned to play the violin and began to draw himself. His first easel was the wall of his father's house; instead of a canvas, he was content with plaster, and a brush replaced a piece of coal. The amazing boy was immediately noticed by a couple of prominent benefactors. First, the Theodosian architect Yakov Khristianovich Kokh drew attention to the drawings of unusual skill.

He also gave Vanya the first lessons in fine arts. Later, having heard Aivazovsky play the violin, the mayor Alexander Ivanovich Kaznacheev became interested in him. Happened funny story- when Koch decided to introduce the little artist to Kaznacheev, he was already familiar with him. Thanks to the patronage of Alexander Ivanovich, in 1830 Vanya entered Simferopol Lyceum.

The next three years were an important milestone in the life of Aivazovsky. While studying at the Lyceum, he was distinguished from others by an absolutely unimaginable talent for drawing. It was hard for the boy - the longing for his relatives and, of course, the sea affected. But he kept old acquaintances and made new, no less useful ones. First, Kaznacheev was transferred to Simferopol, and later Ivan became a member of the house of Natalya Fedorovna Naryshkina. The boy was allowed to use books and engravings, he constantly worked, looking for new subjects and techniques. Every day the skill of the genius grew.

The noble patrons of Aivazovsky's talent decided to apply for his admission to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, sent the best drawings to the capital. After reviewing them, the President of the Academy, Alexei Nikolayevich Olenin, wrote to the Minister of the Court, Prince Volkonsky:

“The young Gaivazovsky, judging by his drawing, has an extraordinary disposition for composition, but how, while in the Crimea, he could not be prepared for drawing and painting there, so as not only to be sent to foreign lands and study there without guidance, but even so, in order to enter the full-time academicians of the Imperial Academy of Arts, because on the basis of § 2 of the appendix to its regulations, those who enter must be at least 14 years old.

To draw well, at least from the originals, the human figure, to draw orders of architecture and to have preliminary knowledge in the sciences, then, in order not to deprive this young man of the opportunity and ways to develop and improve his natural abilities for art, I considered the only means for this to be the highest permission to appoint him to the academy as a pensioner of his imperial majesty with production for his maintenance and other 600 r. from His Majesty's Cabinet so that it can be brought here at public expense.

The permission requested by Olenin was received when Volkonsky showed the drawings personally to Emperor Nicholas. July 22 Petersburg Academy of Arts accepted a new student. Childhood is over. But Aivazovsky went to St. Petersburg without fear - he truly felt that there were brilliant accomplishments of artistic genius ahead.

Big city - big opportunities

The Petersburg period of Aivazovsky's life is interesting for several reasons at once. Of course, training at the Academy played an important role. Ivan's talent was complemented by such necessary academic lessons. But in this article, I would like first of all to talk about the social circle of the young artist. Truly, Aivazovsky was always lucky with acquaintances.

Aivazovsky arrived in St. Petersburg in August. And although he had heard a lot about the terrible dampness and cold of St. Petersburg, none of this was felt in the summer. Ivan spent the whole day walking around the city. Apparently, the soul of the artist filled the longing for the familiar south great views cities on the Neva. Aivazovsky was especially struck by the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral and the monument to Peter the Great. The massive bronze figure of the first emperor of Russia evoked genuine admiration from the artist. Still would! It was Peter who owed the existence of this wonderful city.

Amazing talent and acquaintance with Kaznacheev made Hovhannes a favorite of the public. Moreover, this audience was very influential and more than once helped the young talent. Vorobyov, Aivazovsky's first teacher at the Academy, immediately realized what talent he got. Undoubtedly, these creative people music also brought them together - Maxim Nikiforovich, like his student, also played the violin.

But over time, it became obvious that Aivazovsky outgrew Vorobyov. Then he was sent as a student to the French marine painter Philip Tanner. But Ivan did not get along with the foreigner in character and, due to an illness (either fictional or real), left him. Instead, he began working on a series of paintings for the exhibition. And it must be admitted, the canvases he created are impressive. It was then, in 1835, that he received a silver medal for his works “Etude of the air over the sea” and “View of the seaside in the vicinity of St. Petersburg”.

But alas, the capital was not only cultural center but also the epicenter of intrigue. Tanner complained to his superiors about the recalcitrant Aivazovsky, saying that why was his student working for himself during his illness? Nicholas I, a well-known adherent of discipline, personally ordered the removal of the young artist's paintings from the exhibition. It was a very painful blow.

Aivazovsky was not allowed to mope - the entire public vehemently opposed the baseless disgrace. Olenin, Zhukovsky, and the court painter Sauerweid petitioned for Ivan's forgiveness. Krylov himself personally came to comfort Hovhannes: “What. brother, does the Frenchman offend? Eh, what is he ... Well, God bless him! Do not be sad!..". In the end, justice prevailed - the emperor forgave the young artist and ordered to issue an award.

Largely thanks to Sauerweid, Ivan was able to pass summer practice on the ships of the Baltic Fleet. Created only a hundred years ago, the fleet was already a formidable force Russian state. And, of course, for a novice marine painter it was impossible to find a more necessary, useful and enjoyable practice.

To write ships without the slightest idea about their device is a crime! Ivan did not hesitate to communicate with the sailors, to carry out minor assignments for officers. And in the evenings he played his favorite violin for the team - in the middle of the cold Baltic one could hear the enchanting sound of the Black Sea south.

Charming artist

All this time, Aivazovsky did not stop correspondence with his old benefactor Kaznacheev. It was thanks to him that Ivan became a member of the houses of Alexei Romanovich Tomilov and Alexander Arkadyevich Suvorov-Rymniksky, the grandson of the famous commander. At the Tomilovs' dacha, Ivan even spent summer holidays. It was then that Aivazovsky got acquainted with Russian nature, unusual for a southerner. But the artist's heart perceives beauty in any form. Every day spent by Aivazovsky in St. Petersburg or its environs added something new to the attitude of the future maestro of painting.

The color of the then intelligentsia gathered in the Tomilovs' house - Mikhail Glinka, Orest Kiprensky, Nestor Kukolnik, Vasily Zhukovsky. Evenings in such a company were extremely interesting for the artist. Aivazovsky's senior comrades accepted him into their circle without any problems. The democratic tendencies of the intelligentsia and the extraordinary giftedness of the young man allowed him to take a worthy place in the company of Tomilov's friends. In the evenings, Aivazovsky often played the violin in a special, oriental manner - resting the instrument on his knee or standing upright. Glinka even included in his opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" a small excerpt played by Aivazovsky.

It is known that Aivazovsky was familiar with Pushkin and was very fond of his poetry. The death of Alexander Sergeevich was very painfully perceived by Hovhannes, later he specially came to Gurzuf, exactly to the place where the great poet spent his time. No less important for Ivan was the meeting with Karl Bryullov. Having recently completed work on the canvas “The Last Day of Pompeii”, he arrived in St. Petersburg and each of the students of the Academy passionately wished that Bryullov was his mentor.

Aivazovsky was not a student of Bryullov, but often communicated with him personally, and Karl Pavlovich noted the talent of Hovhannes. Nestor Kukolnik devoted a lengthy article to Aivazovsky precisely at Bryullov's insistence. An experienced painter saw that the subsequent studies at the Academy would be rather a regression for Ivan - there were no teachers left who could give something new to the young artist.

He proposed to the Council of the Academy to shorten Aivazovsky's study period and send him abroad. Moreover, the new marina "Shtil" won a gold medal at the exhibition. And this award just gave the right to travel abroad.

But instead of Venice and Dresden, Hovhannes was sent to the Crimea for two years. It is unlikely that Aivazovsky was not happy - he would be at home again!

Rest…

In the spring of 1838, Aivazovsky arrived in Feodosia. Finally he saw his family, his beloved city and, of course, the southern sea. Of course, the Baltic has its own charm. But for Aivazovsky, it is the Black Sea that will always be the source of the brightest inspiration. Even after such a long separation from his family, the artist puts work first.

He finds time to communicate with his mother, father, sisters and brother - everyone is sincerely proud of Hovhannes, the most promising artist in St. Petersburg! At the same time, Aivazovsky is working hard. He paints canvases for hours, and then, tired, goes to the sea. Here he can feel that mood, that elusive excitement that the Black Sea caused in him from an early age.

Soon the retired Treasurers came to visit the Aivazovskys. He, along with his parents, rejoiced at the success of Hovhannes and first of all asked to see his new drawings. Seeing the beautiful works, he immediately took the artist with him on a trip to the southern coast of Crimea.

Of course, after such a long separation, it was unpleasant to leave the family again, but the desire to feel the native Crimea outweighed. Yalta, Gurzuf, Sevastopol - everywhere Aivazovsky found material for new canvases. Treasurers, who left for Simferopol, urged the artist to visit, but he again and again upset the benefactor with a refusal - work is above all.

...before the fight!

At this time, Aivazovsky met another wonderful person. Nikolai Nikolayevich Raevsky - a brave man, an outstanding commander, the son of Nikolai Nikolayevich Raevsky, a hero of the defense of the Raevsky battery in the Battle of Borodino. The lieutenant general participated in the Napoleonic wars, the Caucasian campaigns.

These two people, unlike at first glance, were brought together by love for Pushkin. Aivazovsky, who from an early age admired the poetic genius of Alexander Sergeevich, found a kindred spirit in Raevsky. Long exciting conversations about the poet ended quite unexpectedly - Nikolai Nikolaevich invited Aivazovsky to accompany him on a sea voyage to the shores of the Caucasus and look at the landing of Russian troops. It was an invaluable opportunity to see something new, and even on the much-loved Black Sea. Hovhannes immediately agreed.

Of course, this trip was important in terms of creativity. But even here there were invaluable meetings, to keep silent about which would be a crime. On the ship "Colchis" Aivazovsky met Lev Sergeevich Pushkin, Alexander's brother. Later, when the ship joined the main squadron, Ivan met people who were an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the marine painter.

Switching from Colchis to the battleship Silistria, Aivazovsky was introduced to Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev. A hero of Russia, a participant in the famous Battle of Navarino and a discoverer of Antarctica, an innovator and competent commander, he took a keen interest in Aivazovsky and personally suggested that he switch from Colchis to Silistria to study the intricacies of naval affairs, which would undoubtedly be useful to him in his work. It would seem much further: Lev Pushkin, Nikolai Raevsky, Mikhail Lazarev - some in their entire lives will not meet even one person of this magnitude. But Aivazovsky has a completely different fate.

Later he was introduced to Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov, the captain of the Silistria, the future commander of the Russian fleet in the battle of Sinop and the organizer of the heroic defense of Sevastopol. In this brilliant company, the young Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov, the future vice admiral and captain of the famous sailing ship The Twelve Apostles, did not get lost at all. Aivazovsky worked with a very special passion these days: the atmosphere was unique. Warm surroundings, beloved Black Sea and graceful ships that could be explored to your heart's content.

But now it's time to land. Aivazovsky personally wanted to take part in it. IN last moment found that the artist was completely unarmed (of course!) and he was given a pair of pistols. So Ivan went down into the landing boat - with a briefcase for papers and paints and pistols in his belt. Although his boat was among the first to moor to the shore, Aivazovsky personally did not observe the battle. A few minutes after the landing, a friend of the artist, midshipman Frederiks, was wounded. Not finding a doctor, Ivan himself provides assistance to the wounded, and then on the boat he is sent to the ship. But upon returning to the shore, Aivazovsky sees that the battle is almost over. He gets to work without a moment's delay. However, let's give the floor to the artist himself, who in the magazine "Kyiv Starina" described the landing almost forty years later - in 1878:

“... The shore illuminated by the setting sun, the forest, the distant mountains, the fleet at anchor, the boats scurrying along the sea maintain communication with the shore ... Having passed the forest, I went to a clearing; here is a picture of rest after a recent combat alarm: groups of soldiers, officers sitting on drums, the corpses of the dead and their Circassian carts who came for cleaning. Having unfolded the briefcase, I armed myself with a pencil and began to sketch one group. At this time, some Circassian unceremoniously took my briefcase from my hands, carried it to show my drawing to his own. Whether the highlanders liked him, I don't know; I only remember that the Circassian returned the drawing to me stained with blood ... This "local color" remained on him, and I for a long time shore is a tangible memory of the expedition ... ".

What words! The artist saw everything - the coast, the setting sun, the forest, the mountains and, of course, the ships. A little later, he wrote one of his best works, Landing at Subashi. But this genius was in mortal danger during the landing! But Fate saved him for further achievements. During the vacation, Aivazovsky was still waiting for a trip to the Caucasus, and hard work on turning sketches into real canvases. But he did it with flying colors. As always, though.

Hello Europe!

Returning to St. Petersburg, Aivazovsky received the title of artist of the 14th grade. Education at the Academy ended, Hovhannes outgrew all his teachers and he was given the opportunity to travel around Europe, of course, with state support. He left with a light heart: earnings allowed him to help his parents, and he himself lived quite comfortably. And although at first Aivazovsky was supposed to visit Berlin, Vienna, Trieste, Dresden, he was most drawn to Italy. There was the much-loved South Sea and the elusive magic of the Apennines. In July 1840, Ivan Aivazovsky and his friend and classmate Vasily Sternberg went to Rome.

This trip to Italy was very useful for Aivazovsky. He got a unique opportunity to study the works of the great Italian masters. For hours he stood by the canvases, sketching them, trying to understand the secret mechanism that made the creations of Raphael and Botticelli masterpieces. Tried to visit many interesting places, for example, the house of Columbus in Genoa. And what landscapes he found! The Apennines reminded Ivan of his native Crimea, but with their own, different charm.

And there was no sense of kinship with the earth. But what opportunities for creativity! And Aivazovsky always took advantage of the opportunities provided to him. A noteworthy fact speaks eloquently about the level of the artist's skill: the Pope himself wanted to buy the painting "Chaos". Someone, but the pontiff is used to getting only the best! The quick-witted artist refused to pay, simply presenting "Chaos" to Gregory XVI. Dad did not leave him without a reward, handing him a gold medal. But the main thing is the effect of a gift in the world of painting - the name of Aivazovsky thundered throughout Europe. For the first time, but not the last time.

In addition to work, however, Ivan had another reason to visit Italy, more precisely Venice. It was there on the island of St. Lazar was lived and worked by his brother Gabriel. Being in the rank of archimandrite, he was engaged in research work and teaching. The meeting of the brothers was warm, Gabriel asked a lot about Theodosius and his parents. But soon they parted. The next time they meet is in Paris in a few years. In Rome, Aivazovsky met Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol and Alexander Andreevich Ivanov. Even here, in a foreign land, Ivan managed to find the best representatives of the Russian land!

Exhibitions of paintings by Aivazovsky were also held in Italy. The audience was invariably delighted and keenly interested in this young Russian, who managed to convey all the warmth of the south. Increasingly, Aivazovsky began to be recognized on the streets, people came to his studio and ordered works. “The Bay of Naples”, “View of Vesuvius on a Moonlit Night”, “View of the Venetian Lagoon” - these masterpieces were the quintessence of the Italian spirit passed through the soul of Aivazovsky. In April 1842, he sends some of the paintings to Peterburg and notifies Olenin of his intention to visit France and the Netherlands. Ivan no longer asks for permission to travel - he has enough money, he has loudly declared himself and will be warmly received in any country. He only asks for one thing - that his salary be sent to his mother.

Aivazovsky's paintings were presented at an exhibition in the Louvre and impressed the French so much that he was awarded the gold medal of the French Academy. But he did not limit himself to France alone: ​​England, Spain, Portugal, Malta - wherever one could see the sea so dear to the heart, the artist visited. The exhibitions were a success and Aivazovsky was unanimously showered with compliments by critics and inexperienced visitors. There was no longer a lack of money, but Aivazovsky lived modestly, giving himself to work to the fullest.

Artist of the Main Naval Staff

Not wanting to drag out his voyage, already in 1844 he returned to St. Petersburg. On July 1, he was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree, and in September of the same year, Aivazovsky received the title of academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In addition, he is assigned to the Main Naval Staff with the right to wear a uniform! We know with what reverence the sailors treat the honor of the uniform. And here it is worn by a civilian, and even an artist!

Nevertheless, this appointment was welcomed at the Headquarters, and Ivan Konstantinovich (you can already call him that - an artist with a worldwide reputation, after all!) Enjoyed all the possible privileges of this position. He demanded drawings of ships, ship guns fired for him (so that he could better see the trajectory of the nucleus), Aivazovsky even participated in maneuvers in the Gulf of Finland! In a word, he did not just serve the number, but worked diligently and with desire. Naturally, the paintings were also on the level. Soon, Aivazovsky's paintings began to decorate the residences of the emperor, the houses of the nobility, state galleries and private collections.

The next year was very busy. In April 1845, Ivan Konstantinovich was included in the Russian delegation, which was heading to Constantinople. Having visited Turkey, Aivazovsky was struck by the beauties of Istanbul and the beautiful coast of Anatolia. After some time, he returned to Feodosia, where he bought a land plot and began to build his house-workshop, which he personally designed. Many do not understand the artist - the sovereign's favorite, popular artist Why not live in the capital? Or abroad? Feodosia is a wild wilderness! But Aivazovsky does not think so. He arranges an exhibition of his paintings in a newly built house, on which he works day and night. Many guests noted that despite seemingly homely conditions, Ivan Konstantinovich became haggard and turned pale. But, in spite of everything, Aivazovsky finishes work and goes to St. Petersburg - he is still a serviceman, you can’t treat this irresponsibly!

Love and War

In 1846, Aivazovsky arrived in the capital and stayed there for several years. The reason for this was the permanent exhibitions. With a frequency of six months, they took place either in St. Petersburg or in Moscow in a completely different places, then cash, then free. And at each exhibition there was the presence of Aivazovsky. He received thanks, came to visit, accepted gifts and orders. Free time in this hustle was rarely given. One of the most famous paintings was created - “The Ninth Wave”.

But it is worth noting that Ivan still went to Feodosia. The reason for this was paramount - in 1848 Aivazovsky got married. Suddenly? Until the age of 31, the artist did not have a lover - all his emotions and experiences remained on the canvases. And here is such an unexpected step. However, southern blood is hot, and love is an unpredictable thing. But even more surprising is Aivazovsky's chosen one - a simple servant Julia Grace, an Englishwoman, the daughter of a life doctor who served Emperor Alexander.

Of course, this marriage did not go unnoticed in the secular circles of St. Petersburg - many were surprised at the choice of the artist, many openly criticized him. The statute, apparently close attention to his personal life, Aivazovsky with his wife and in 1852 leaves home, to the Crimea. An additional reason (or perhaps the main one?) was that first daughter - Elena, was already at the age of three, and second daughter - Maria recently celebrated a year old. In any case, Feodosia Feodosia was waiting for Aivazovsky.

At home, the artist tries to organize art school, but receives a denial of funding from the emperor. Instead, he and his wife begin archaeological excavations. In 1852, the family is born third daughter - Alexandra. Ivan Konstantinovich does not leave, of course, the work on the paintings. But in 1854, a landing party landed in the Crimea, Aivazovsky hastily takes his family to Kharkov, and he himself returns to the besieged Sevastopol to his old friend Kornilov.

Kornilov orders the artist to leave the city, saving him from possible death. Aivazovsky obeys. The war ends soon. For everyone, but not for Aivazovsky - he will paint brilliant pictures on the theme of the Crimean War for a few more years.

The following years pass in confusion. Aivazovsky regularly travels to the capital, deals with the affairs of Feodosia, travels to Paris to meet his brother, and opens an art school. Born in 1859 fourth daughter - Jeanne. But Aivazovsky is constantly busy. Despite traveling, creativity takes most of the time. During this period, paintings on biblical themes, battle paintings are created, which regularly appear at exhibitions - in Feodosia, Odessa, Taganrog, Moscow, St. Petersburg. In 1865, Aivazovsky received the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class.

Admiral Aivazovsky

But Julia is unhappy. Why does she need medals? Ivan ignores her requests, she does not receive due attention and in 1866 refuses to return to Feodosia. The breakup of the family Aivazovsky experienced hard, and in order to be distracted - everyone goes to work. He paints pictures, travels around the Caucasus, Armenia, pays everything free time students of his art academy.

In 1869, he goes to the opening, in the same year he arranges another exhibition in St. Petersburg, and the next he receives the title of a real state councilor, which corresponded to the rank of admiral. A unique case in Russian history! In 1872 he will have an exhibition in Florence, for which he has been preparing for several years. But the effect exceeded all expectations - he was elected an honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts, and his self-portrait adorned the gallery of the Pitti Palace - Ivan Konstantinovich stood on a par with the best artists of Italy and the world.

A year later, having arranged another exhibition in the capital, Aivazovsky leaves for Istanbul at the personal invitation of the Sultan. This year turned out to be fruitful - 25 canvases were painted for the Sultan! The sincerely admiring Turkish ruler bestows the Order of Osmaniye of the second degree on Peter Konstantinovich. In 1875, Aivazovsky left Turkey and went to St. Petersburg. But on the way he stops by Odessa to see his wife and children. Realizing that there is no need to wait for warmth from Julia, he invites her to go to Italy with her daughter Zhanna next year. The wife accepts the offer.

During the trip, the spouses visit Florence, Nice, Paris. Julia is pleased to appear with her husband at secular receptions, while Aivazovsky considers this to be secondary and devotes all his free time to work. Realizing that the former marital happiness cannot be returned, Aivazovsky asks the church to break off the marriage, and in 1877 his request is granted.

Returning to Russia, he travels to Feodosia with his daughter Alexandra, son-in-law Mikhail and grandson Nikolai. But the children of Aivazovsky did not have time to settle down in a new place - another Russian-Turkish war began. The following year, the artist sends his daughter with her husband and son to Feodosia, while he himself goes abroad. For two whole years.

He will visit Germany and France, visit Genoa again, and will prepare paintings for exhibitions in Paris and London. Constantly seeks out promising artists from Russia, sending petitions to the Academy for their maintenance. Painfully, he took the news of his brother's death in 1879. In order not to mope, out of habit he went to work.

Love in Feodosia and love for Feodosia

Returning to his homeland in 1880, Aivazovsky immediately went to Feodosia and began building a special pavilion for the art gallery. He spends a lot of time with his grandson Misha, taking long walks with him, carefully instilling an artistic taste. Every day, Aivazovsky devotes several hours to students of the art academy. He works with inspiration, with extraordinary enthusiasm for his age. But he also demands a lot from the students, is strict with them, and few can withstand studying with Ivan Konstantinovich.

In 1882, the incomprehensible happened - the 65-year-old artist married a second time! His chosen one was a 25-year-old Anna Nikitichna Burnazyan. Since Anna had recently been widowed (in fact, it was at the funeral of her husband that Aivazovsky drew attention to her), the artist had to wait a little before making a marriage proposal. January 30, 1882 Simferopol St. Assumption Church “Actual State Councilor I. K. Aivazovsky, divorced by decree of the Echmiadzin Synoid dated May 30, 1877 N 1361 with his first wife from a legal marriage, entered into a second legal marriage with the wife of a Feodosia merchant, widow Anna Mgrtchyan Sarsizova, both Armenian Gregorian confession."

Soon the spouses go to Greece, where Aivazovsky works again, including painting a portrait of his wife. In 1883, he constantly wrote letters to the ministers, defending Feodosia and proving in every possible way that its location was the best suited for building a port, and a little later he petitioned to replace the city priest. In 1887, an exhibition of paintings by a Russian artist takes place in Vienna, which, however, he did not go to, remaining in Feodosia. Instead, he devotes all his free time to creativity, his wife, students, building an art gallery in Yalta. The 50th anniversary was celebrated with pomp artistic activity Aivazovsky. Whole elite Petersburg came to greet the professor of painting, who has become one of the symbols of Russian art.

In 1888, Aivazovsky received an invitation to visit Turkey, but did not go for political reasons. Nevertheless, he sends several dozen of his paintings to Istanbul, for which the Sultan awards him in absentia with the Order of the Medjidie of the first degree. A year later, the artist and his wife went to a personal exhibition in Paris, where he was awarded the Order of the Foreign Legion. On the way back, the married couple still calls in Istanbul so beloved by Ivan Konstantinovich.

In 1892, Aivazovsky turns 75. And he goes to America! The artist plans to refresh his impressions of the ocean, see Niagara, visit New York, Chicago, Washington and present his paintings at the World Exhibition. And all this in the eighth ten! Well, sit yourself in the rank of state councilor in your native Feodosia, surrounded by grandchildren and a young wife! No, Ivan Konstantinovich remembers perfectly why he rose so high. Diligence and fantastic dedication - without this, Aivazovsky will cease to be himself. However, he did not stay long in America and returned home in the same year. Came back to work. Such was Ivan Konstantinovich.

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 artistic ability boy, Koch supplied young artist pencils, paints and paper, 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 incessantly worked, 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. Support for a talented artist the best minds capitals with which 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 educational institution because it could not 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 railway, the 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, social 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 in old 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".

Museums section publications

A dozen seas by Ivan Aivazovsky: geography in paintings

We remember famous canvases Aivazovsky and study the maritime geography of the 19th century using them.

Adriatic Sea

Venetian lagoon. View of the island of San Giorgio. 1844. State Tretyakov Gallery

The sea, which is part of the Mediterranean, was named in antiquity after the ancient port of Adria (in the region of Venice). Now the water has receded from the city by 22 kilometers, and the city has become land.

In the 19th century, reference books wrote about this sea: “... the most dangerous wind is the northeast wind - Borey, also the southeast wind - sirocco; southwestern - siffanto, less common and less prolonged, but often very strong; it is especially dangerous near the mouths of the Po, when it suddenly changes to the southeast and turns into a strong storm (furiano). Between the islands of the eastern coast, these winds are doubly dangerous, for in the narrow channels and in each bay they blow differently; the most terrible are the boreal in winter and the hot "south" (Slovensk.) in summer. Already the ancients often talk about the dangers of Adria, and from the numerous prayers for salvation and vows of sailors preserved in the churches of the Italian coast, it is clear that the changeable weather has long been the subject of complaints from coastal swimmers .... ”(1890).

Atlantic Ocean

Napoleon on Saint Helena. 1897. Feodosia Art Gallery. I.K. Aivazovsky

The ocean got its name in antiquity, in honor of the mythical titan Atlanta, who held the vault of heaven on his shoulders somewhere near Gibraltar.

“... The time recently used by sailing ships in various indicated directions is expressed by the following numbers: from Pas de Calais to New York 25-40 days; back 15–23; to the West Indies 27–30, to the equator 27–33 days; from New York to the equator 20–22, in summer 25–31 days; from the English Channel to Bahia 40, to Rio de Janeiro 45, to Cape Horn 66, to Capstadt 60, to the Gulf of Guinea 51 days. Of course, the duration of the crossing varies depending on the weather; more detailed guidance can be found in the "Passage tables" published by the London Board of Trade. Steamboats are less dependent on the weather, especially postal ones, equipped with all the modern improvements and now crossing the Atlantic Ocean in all directions ... ”(1890).

Baltic Sea

Big raid in Kronstadt. 1836. Timing

The sea was named either from Latin word balteus ("belt"), since, according to ancient geographers, it encircled Europe, or from the Baltic word baltas ("white").

“... Due to the low salt content, shallow depth and severity of winter, the Baltic Sea freezes over a large area, although not every winter. So, for example, driving on ice from Reval to Helsingfors is not possible every winter, but in severe frosts and deep straits between the Åland Islands and both coasts of the mainland are covered with ice, and in 1809 the Russian army with all military weights crossed here over the ice to Sweden and in two other places across the Gulf of Bothnia. In 1658, the Swedish king Charles X crossed the ice from Jutland to Zeeland…” (1890).

ionian sea

Naval Battle of Navarino, October 2, 1827. 1846. Naval Academy. N.G. Kuznetsova

According to ancient myths, the sea, which is part of the Mediterranean, was named after Zeus's beloved Princess Io, who was turned into a cow by his wife, the goddess Hera. In addition, Hera sent a huge gadfly to Io, fleeing from which the poor thing swam across the sea.

“... There are luxurious olive groves on Kefalonia, but in general the Ionian Islands are treeless. Main products: wine, oil, southern fruits. The main occupations of the inhabitants: agriculture and sheep breeding, fishing, trade, shipbuilding; manufacturing industry in its infancy…”

In the 19th century, this sea was the site of important naval battles: we talked about one of them, captured by Aivazovsky.

Cretan Sea

On the island of Crete. 1867. Feodosia Art Gallery. I.K. Aivazovsky

Another sea, which is part of the Mediterranean, washes Crete from the north and is named after this island. "Crete" is one of the oldest geographical names, it is already found in the Mycenaean linear letter "B" of the 2nd millennium BC. e. Its meaning is unclear; perhaps in one of the ancient Anatolian languages ​​it meant "silver".

“...Christians and Mohammedans are here in terrible mutual enmity. Industries are in decline; harbors, which were in a flourishing state under the Venetian rule, almost all became shallow; most of the cities are in ruins…” (1895).

Sea of ​​Marmara

Golden Horn Bay. Türkiye. After 1845. Chuvash State Art Museum

The sea, located between the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean and separates European part Istanbul from Asian. It is named after the island of Marmara, where the famous quarries were located in ancient times.

“... Although the Sea of ​​Marmara is in the exclusive possession of the Turks, both its topography and its physico-chemical and biological properties have been studied mainly by Russian hydrographers and scientists. The first detailed description of the shores of this sea was made on Turkish military ships in 1845-1848 by the hydrographer of the Russian fleet, captain-lieutenant Manganari ... ”(1897).

North Sea

View of Amsterdam. 1854. Kharkov Art Museum

The sea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean, washes the shores of Europe from France to Scandinavia. In the 19th century in Russia it was called German, later the name was changed.

“... With the exception of the aforementioned very narrow space of great depths off the coast of Norway, the German Sea is the shallowest of all the coastal seas and even of all the seas, with the exception of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. The German Sea, together with the English Channel, are the seas most visited by ships, since through it there is a path from the ocean to the first harbor of the globe - London ... ”(1897).

Arctic Ocean

Storm on the Arctic Ocean. 1864. Feodosia Art Gallery. I.K. Aivazovsky

The current name of the ocean was officially approved in 1937, before that it was called differently - including the North Sea. In ancient Russian texts, there is even a touching version - the Breathing Sea. In Europe, it is called the Arctic Ocean.

“... Attempts to reach the North Pole have not been successful so far. Closest to North Pole the expedition of the American Peary came up, which set off from New York in 1905 on the steamer Roosevelt, built especially for her, and returned in October 1906 ”(1907).

Mediterranean Sea

Port of La Valletta on the island of Malta. 1844. Timing

This sea became "Mediterranean" in the III century AD. e. thanks to the Roman geographers. The composition of this large sea includes many small ones - in addition to those named here, these are Alboran, Balearic, Icarian, Carpathian, Cilician, Cypriot, Levantine, Libyan, Ligurian, Myrtoic and Thracian.

“... Navigation in the Mediterranean Sea at the present time, with the strong development of the steam fleet, does not present any particular difficulties, due to the comparative rarity of strong storms and due to the satisfactory fencing of shallows and coasts with lighthouses and other warning signs. About 300 large lighthouses are distributed along the shores of the continents and islands, and the latter account for about 1/3, and of the remaining 3/4 are located on the European coast ... ”(1900).

Tyrrhenian Sea

Moonlit night in Capri. 1841. State Tretyakov Gallery

The sea, which is part of the Mediterranean and located north of Sicily, was named after the character ancient myths, the Lydian prince Tyrrhenus, who drowned in it.

“... All the latifundia [large estates] of Sicily belong to large owners - aristocrats who live permanently either in continental Italy, or in France and Spain. The shredding of landed property often goes to extremes: the peasant owns one dugout on a piece of land measuring several square arshins. In the seaside valley, where private property lies in fruit plantations, there are often such peasant owners who have only 4-5 chestnut trees ”(1900).

Black Sea

Black Sea (A storm begins to break out on the Black Sea). 1881. State Tretyakov Gallery

This name, probably associated with the color of the water during a storm, the sea received only in modern times. The ancient Greeks, who actively settled on its shores, called it first the Inhospitable, and then the Hospitable.

“... Urgent passenger and cargo shipping traffic between the ports of the Black Sea is supported by Russian ships (mainly of the Russian Shipping and Trade Society), Austrian Lloyd, French Messageries maritimes and Frayssinet et C-ie and the Greek company Courtgi et C-ie under the Turkish flag. Foreign ships visit almost exclusively the ports of Rumelia, Bulgaria, Romania and Anatolia, while the ships of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade visit all the ports of the Black Sea. The composition of the ships of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade in 1901 - 74 ships ... "(1903).

Aegean Sea

Island of Patmos. 1854. Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts. M.A. Vrubel

This part mediterranean sea, located between Greece and Turkey, is named after the Athenian king Aegeus, who threw himself at him from a cliff, thinking that his son Theseus was killed by the Minotaur.

“... Sailing along the Aegean Sea, which lies in the path of ships coming from the Black and Marmara Seas, is generally very pleasant, thanks to good, clear weather, but in autumn and early spring storms are not uncommon, brought by cyclones coming from the North Atlantic Ocean through Europe to Malaya Asia. The inhabitants of the islands are excellent sailors ... "(1904).

Ivan Constantinovich Aivazovski(Armenian Hovhannes Ayvazyan; July 17 (29), 1817, Feodosia - April 19 (May 2), 1900, Feodosia) - the most famous Russian marine painter. The main characters of his paintings are seascapes. Aivazovsky went from a Feodosia boy drawing on the walls of houses, because there were no pencils or albums in the house, to one of the most famous and successful masters of his time. It was recognized both on the territory of the Russian Empire and abroad. In the heyday of his fame, the artist returned to Feodosia and made great efforts to change his beloved city for the better.

Features of the artist Ivan Aivazovsky: the main theme and hero of Aivazovsky's paintings is the sea, the main genre is the marina. Aivazovsky actively used the glazing technique, thanks to which the “Aivazovsky wave” entered the history of art (this is a translucent foamy wave, often found in his paintings). He almost never painted from nature on principle, believing that the elements cannot be depicted, since in the next moment it is already different. Aivazovsky wrote easily, quickly and was very fruitful, his legacy is about six thousand paintings.

famous paintings Ivan Aivazovsky:"The Ninth Wave", "The Chesme Battle", "The Black Sea", "Among the Waves", "Moonlight Night on the Bosporus". Also, the artist has a large number of works unknown for a wide range of works, which include various sketches and sketches of seascapes.

Artist Ivan Aivazovsky was the first in Russia to start organizing his own personal exhibitions. In his lifetime, 120 of them have passed - few people today can boast of such. He loved society and women, but most of all he loved the sea. His life is an example of a successful hit in his destiny. It seems that at every crossroads in life he made the right choice. Or maybe another one...

About the origin of the artist Aivazovsky and his first paintings

Aivazovsky's ancestors fled during the Turkish Armenian genocide to Poland, and then moved to the Crimea. The artist's father in Feodosia already signed the name Gaivazovsky. Hovhannes was also born there. The family had three daughters and two sons. Parents barely made ends meet, so Hovhannes joined the work early. The boy drew very well and played the violin. Paints and paper fell into his hands infrequently, so he mainly had to use improvised means - coal and walls of houses. The mayor Alexander Kaznacheev once became interested in a “wall painting” depicting a soldier in full ammunition, and wished to get acquainted with the author. All his life, Ivan Aivazovsky gratefully remembered his benefactor and said that it was from him that he received "the best and most memorable gift - a box of water colors and a whole ream of drawing paper". Treasurers assigned him to the Simferopol gymnasium, and settled him at home for the duration of his studies. Then he contributed to the enrollment of the boy at public expense in the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. The young student was recorded as Ivan Gaivazovsky. Only in 1840, the letter G will disappear from his surname - so he wants to pay tribute to his Armenian roots.

At the Academy of Arts

Aivazovsky got into the class of the well-known landscape painter at that time, a wonderful teacher Maxim Vorobyov. Ivan learned academic wisdom from him, and from him he adopted a love for the romantic direction, then still innovative. Aivazovsky was a frequent visitor to the teacher's house, and he himself made progress, his paintings were noticed and praised, and amazing prospects opened up before him. Moreover, at the age of 18, Ivan Konstantinovich received a silver medal from the Academy. This medal almost put an end to his future.

In Russia at that time, the French marine painter Philip Tanner was received at court and extremely loved. He was invited to write the most important Russian ports. Aivazovsky was sent to the Frenchman as an assistant. He quickly appreciated the student's talent and instructed him not only to stretch canvases, grind paints, wash brushes, but also sketch views. There was a lot of work, and Aivazovsky was completely exhausted in the process of preparing Tanner for the exhibition. Once he was met by the President of the Academy Olenin. Alarmed by the haggard appearance of the young man, Olenin invited him to his estate. There Aivazovsky regained his strength and ... painted a couple of marinas. The president, on his own initiative, presented them at the academic exhibition of 1836.

For the artist Aivazovsky, this exhibition is also memorable for the fact that he was immediately highly appreciated by Karl Bryullov: “I saw your paintings at the exhibition and suddenly felt the salty taste of the sea on my lips ... It is clear that you are gifted with an exceptional memory that preserves the impressions of nature itself. This is important for a true artist". At the same exhibition, Aivazovsky met Pushkin. The following year, the poet was killed, but this meeting deeply sunk into the soul of the artist, and he then painted many paintings dedicated to Pushkin.

Reviews are positive! Moreover, there was a review in which the picture of Aivazovsky was opposed to the mannered canvases of Tanner. Such a comparison extremely offended Tanner, and he, taking advantage of the position of a master of painting close to the emperor, complained that Aivazovsky "stole his secrets" and through his head exhibited his paintings at the exhibition. Nicholas I did not like violations of subordination, therefore he ordered the work of the obstinate student to be removed. But confusion arose, Aivazovsky's paintings hung until the end of the exhibition and were awarded a silver medal. When it turned out that these were the same works, the emperor did not want to hear more about the impudent one.

And here the amazing luck of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky manifested itself in the people taking part in his fate. Zhukovsky, Glinka, Olenin, Puppeteer - who just did not intercede for him. Everything is in vain! As a "heavy artillery" to protect the young talent, the drawing teacher of the royal daughters, professor of the academy Alexander Sauerweid stood up. He managed to soften the anger of Nicholas I. Aivazovsky was transferred to the class of battle painting, in which Sauerweid taught. Soon the young man, having received the gold medal of the Academy, was sent for an internship to the Crimea, and then to Europe.

Aivazovsky's paintings conquer Europe

In Europe, the artist Aivazovsky first appeared at the age of 23. "I like a bee I collect honey from a flower garden", - he reported about his trip to Italy, in which he eagerly absorbed new species and wrote. At that time, work from nature was considered acutely relevant. Ivan Konstantinovich tried hard to follow these calls. In Sorrento, he painted views from nature for three weeks, examining all the surrounding beaches. And after that, Aivazovsky painted two paintings from memory in the workshop. What was the astonishment of the artist when at the exhibition the audience indifferently passed by his "nature" and for a long time froze at the "invented" dawn and sunset. From that moment on, he stopped trying to fit himself into a box that was clearly too tight for him. The artist always carried a notebook with a pencil with him to make sketches, sketches, but from now on he painted only in the studio.

And again falling into his own rut - Aivazovsky found his own way, his own way of painting, even though he went against what painters were then taught. And fame found him. The years spent abroad seem to represent an unending series of successes. The great Turner, who created an incomparable song of the sea, sun and air, was delighted with the works of the Russian artist. A poem dedicated to the then young Aivazovsky by the British master is widely known: “Forgive me , great artist, if I was mistaken in taking the picture for reality, but your work fascinated me, and delight took possession of me. Your art is high and powerful, because you are inspired by the Genius".

The formation of Aivazovsky's brush was influenced, first of all, by Claude Lorrain (Turner also considered him his teacher), Sylvester Shchedrin (Ivan Konstantinovich's talent grew, perhaps, in opposition to the principles of Shchedrin, a great admirer of plein air painting) and Karl Bryullov - the ability to combine academic rigor with romantic excitement.

Wherever he came, soon hundreds of paintings “under Aivazovsky” appeared in all the art shops, and a queue of those wishing to purchase the originals lined up to him. He no longer had to weigh his travels against the modest boarding house provided by the Academy. Switzerland, Holland, England, France, Portugal and Spain - success everywhere.

A series of right choices

In 1844, Ivan Aivazovsky turned 27 years old. Some at this age are just finding their way, and some are not yet. He managed to conquer Europe, and upon his return he became an academician and official artist of the navy. He was instructed to paint views of Russian ports and coastal cities on the Baltic Sea, which Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky does with great pleasure. He carried his love for the fleet and ships through his whole life, and enjoyed a well-deserved reciprocal love.

Aivazovsky was repeatedly blamed for the ease with which sea ​​waves. And, perhaps, the ease with which he was given success. He is favored by the emperor, he is loved by the world, he is friendly with famous writers, composers, and artists. He writes joyfully and freely. Acquaintance with Vissarion Belinsky brought dissonance to this harmony. Severe morals critic was not a lover of sentiment. He recognized Aivazovsky's enormous talent as a peace painter and pointed out to him the danger that awaited him. “Get out of here, Ivan Konstantinovich. St. Petersburg will destroy you. Not for people like you, this city ... You will ruin your happy gift on the royal orders and on the orders of his nobles ”. He remembered how his career almost collapsed in his youth. In addition, he was really unbearably drawn to the sea. He could spend the winter in St. Petersburg, but it got a little warmer - he was eager for the waves.

In the most fashionable living rooms of St. Petersburg, the news about the strange artist Aivazovsky, a darling of fortune and a favorite of the emperor, who, in the prime of his glory, took and left for provincial Feodosia, was discussed for a long time. And he never regretted it: finding your place is no less important than finding your own business. Ivan Konstantinovich loved his city very much. It seems that he made it his goal to thank him for the start in life that was given to him. Without occupying any rank, he became the real father of the city. His yard was always open to the townspeople, he set up a theater, an art school, a gallery in Feodosia. It seems that half of the Feodosia children were baptized by him personally. He made a lot of efforts to build a port in Feodosia and lay a railway, gave the city a water pipe.

Artist Aivazovsky and his women

Aivazovsky's first love, about which either information or legends have come down to us, is the leading soloist of the Paris Opera, ballerina Maria Taglioni. She was 13 years older than the artist. He dreamed of always being there, but Maria decided that in her life the main role devoted to ballet and refused to become his wife.

Having already built a house in Feodosia, Aivazovsky often spent the winter in St. Petersburg, where he was considered a very enviable groom. And it's not just fame and wealth - he was very handsome, courteous, charming and cheerful. How many beauties dreamed of turning his head! In one of the wealthy St. Petersburg families, the older girls quarreled, trying to determine who Aivazovsky, who frequented them, was in love with. And he himself offered to give drawing lessons to both the elders and the younger, whom the governess brought to classes. The mother of the family was thinking in a sinful way, what if she herself sunk into the soul of a young man? Two weeks later, Petersburg received a new gossip. A well-known artist, a handsome young man, a charming rich man marries ... a governess! That's who he came for!

Married to Yulia Grevs, four girls were born. Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was incredibly happy and said that his best paintings were inspired by marriage. Alas, such happiness was not endless. Julia dreamed of shining in St. Petersburg, but life in Feodosia did not suit her at all. The family paradise gave way to scandals, and after 11 years she left for Odessa, from where she sent complaints to the tsar against her husband and prevented him from communicating with his children. In 1877, their marriage was officially annulled.

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was well known and loved in Feodosia. When the matchmaker handed over the proposal of the 65-year-old master to the 26-year-old widow Anna Sarkizova, she did not hesitate for long. The whole Feodosia celebrated the wedding. In this marriage, the artist gained support and understanding.

"Happiness smiled at me", he once said. When a person falls into his destiny and lives his life, then happiness really smiles at him.

Today, Aivazovsky's paintings are exhibited all over the world, they are also present in the catalogs of various reputable auctions, such as Sotheby's, for example, and are an incredible success. The richest art collectors want to buy Ivan Konstantinovich's works for a lot of money. But the most large paintings the artist remains in museums and is available to the public: the painting “Among the Waves” (282 × 425 cm) is exhibited in the Aivazovsky Gallery in Feodosia, “The Ninth Wave” (221 × 332 cm) in the Russian Museum, “The Black Sea” (149 × 208 cm) in the Tretyakov Gallery.