Aivazovsky and biography of the artist. Ivan Aivazovsky - paintings, full biography Love and war

The biography of Aivazovsky, like any creator, is full of interesting events, extraordinary people who met on life path artist and faith in his talent.
Ivan Konstantinovich was born on July 17 (29), 1817 in Feodosia. Even as a child, Ivan showed the ability to music and drawing. The first lessons in artistic skill were given to him by the famous Feodosian architect, Ya.Kh.Kokh.

Having become a graduate of the school, Aivazovsky entered the Simferopol gymnasium. After graduation, under the patronage of the Feodosia mayor, AI Kaznacheev, the future artist was enrolled in the capital's Imperial Academy of Arts.

Further education

In August 1833 Aivazovsky arrived in St. Petersburg. He studied with such masters as M. Vorobyov, F. Tanner, A.I. Sauerweid. His paintings, written during his studies, were awarded silver medal. Aivazovsky was such a gifted student that he was released from the Academy 2 years ahead of schedule. For independent creativity, Ivan Konstantinovich was sent first to his native Crimea, and then on a business trip abroad for 6 years.

Crimean-European period

In the spring of 1838, Aivazovsky left for the Crimea. There he created seascapes, engaged in battle painting. He stayed in Crimea for 2 years. Then, together with V. Sternberg, his friend in the landscape class, the artist went to Rome. On the way, they visited Florence and Venice, where Aivazovsky met N. Gogol.

Everyone who is interested in Aivazovsky's biography should know that he acquired his style of painting in southern Italy. Many paintings of the European period were praised by such a venerable critic as W. Turner. In 1844 Aivazovsky arrived in Russia.

Talent Recognition

1844 was a landmark for the artist. He became the chief painter of the Russian Main Naval Staff. After 3 years, he was awarded the title of professor at the Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg. For children who are interested in the life of the great artist, it is important to know that his main works are the paintings “The Ninth Wave” and “The Black Sea”.

But his work was not limited to battles and seascapes. He created a series of Crimean and Ukrainian landscapes, painted several historical canvases. In total, Aivazovsky painted over 6,000 paintings in his lifetime.

In 1864 the artist became a hereditary nobleman. He was also awarded the rank of actual Privy Councilor. This rank corresponded to the admiral.

Artist's family

Aivazovsky's personal life was not rich. He married twice. The first marriage was concluded in 1848. Yu.A. Grevs. Four daughters were born from this marriage. The union was not happy, and after 12 years the couple broke up. The main reason for the breakup was that Grevs, unlike her husband, strove to live social life in the capital.

The second wife of Aivazovsky was A.N. Sarkisova-Burzanyan. She was 40 years younger than Aivazovsky and survived him by 44 years.

Death

Aivazovsky died suddenly at night from a cerebral hemorrhage on April 19 (May 2), 1900, in Feodosia. On the easel, the painting “Explosion of the Ship”, on which the marine painter worked the day before, remained unfinished. He was buried in the Armenian Church of Surb Sarkis.

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (Arm. Հովհաննես Այվազյան, Hovhannes Ayvazyan; July 17, 1817, Feodosia - April 19, 1900, ibid.) - Russian marine painter, battle painter, collector, philanthropist. Painter of the Main Naval Staff, academician and honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Arts, honorary member of the Academies of Arts in Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Florence and Stuttgart.

Most Outstanding Artist Armenian origin XIX century.
Brother of the Armenian historian and Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church Gabriel Aivazovsky.

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

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

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

Ivan Aivazovsky from childhood discovered in himself artistic and musical ability; in particular, he taught himself to play the violin. Theodosian architect Yakov Khristianovich Kokh, who was the first to pay attention to the artistic abilities of the boy, gave him the first lessons in craftsmanship. Yakov Khristianovich also helped the young Aivazovsky in every possible way, periodically giving him pencils, paper, and paints. He also recommended paying attention to the young talent of the Feodosia mayor Alexander Ivanovich Kaznacheev. After graduating from the Feodosia district school, Aivazovsky was enrolled in the Simferopol gymnasium with the help of Kaznacheev, who at that time was already an admirer of the talent of the future artist. Then Aivazovsky was admitted at public expense to the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.

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

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Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich, part 1 (1817 - 1900)

I.N. Kramskoy argued that Aivazovsky "is a star of the first magnitude, in any case, and not only with us, but in the history of art in general."
P.M. Tretyakov, wanting to buy a painting for his gallery, wrote to the artist: "...Give me your magical water such that it would perfectly convey your incomparable talent."
In painting, Aivazovsky was, above all, a poet. The artist said about himself: “The plot of the picture is formed in my memory, like the plot of a poem by a poet, having made a sketch on a piece of paper, I get to work and do not leave the canvas until I express myself on it with my brush.”
For my long life he wrote up to 6,000 works. The best of them entered the treasury of world culture. His paintings are in many galleries around the world.

Portrait of the artist Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky
1841
Oil on canvas 72 x 54.2

Moscow

Ivan (Hovhannes) Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was born on July 17 (30), 1817 in Feodosia. Aivazovsky's ancestors in the 18th century moved from Western (Turkish) Armenia to the south of Poland. IN early XIX century merchant Konstantin (Gevorg) Gayvazovsky moved from Poland to Feodosia. After the plague epidemic that befell Feodosia in 1812, the Gaivazovsky family had a hard time. The wife of Konstantin Hripsime, a skilled embroiderer, helped support the family, which included two daughters and three sons.

Aivazovsky received his primary education in the Armenian parish school, and then graduated from the Simferopol gymnasium, in which the city architect Koch helped him to appoint. In 1833, with the assistance of the Feodosia mayor A. Kaznacheev, Aivazovsky went to St. Petersburg, and according to the presented children's drawings, he was enrolled in the Academy of Arts in the landscape class of Professor M. N. Vorobyov. Then he studied in the battle class with A. Sauerweid and did not for a long time from the marine painter F. Tanner invited from France.

Already in 1835 he was awarded a silver medal of the second denomination for "Study of Air over the Sea". In 1837, for three sea views and especially for the painting “Calm”, he was awarded the First Gold Medal and the academic course was reduced by two years, with the condition that during this time he painted landscapes of a number of Crimean cities. As a result of a trip to the Crimea, views of Yalta, Feodosia, Sevastopol, Kerch and the paintings “Moonlight Night in Gurzuf” (1839), “Storm”, “Seashore” (1840) appeared.

Aivazovsky I.K. Moonlit night in Crimea. Gurzuf.
1839
Sumy Art Museum

"Coast"
1840
Canvas, oil. 42.8 x 61.5 cm
State Tretyakov Gallery

Windmill by the sea»
1837
Oil on canvas 67 x 96

Saint Petersburg

Seashore at night
1837
47 x 66 cm
Canvas, oil
Romanticism, realism
Russia
Theodosius. Feodosia Art Gallery. I.K.

Kerch
1839

In 1839, Aivazovsky took part as an artist in a naval campaign to the shores of the Caucasus. On board the ship, he meets M. P. Lazarev, V. A. Kornilov, P. S. Nakhimov, V. N. Istomin, and gets the opportunity to study the designs of warships. Creates the first battle canvas - "Landing at Subashi".

“Landing N.N. Raevsky at Subashi"
1839
Canvas, oil. 66 x 97 cm
Samara Art Museum
There he also met the decommissioned Decembrists M. M. Naryshkin, A. I. Odoevsky, N. N. Lorer, who took part in the case under Subashi. The Crimean works of the artist were successfully exhibited at the exhibition at the Academy of Arts, and as an encouragement, I.K. Aivazovsky was given a business trip to Italy.

"Naval Battle of Navarino (October 2, 1827)"
1846
Oil on canvas 222 x 234

Saint Petersburg

"Naval battle at Vyborg on June 29, 1790"
1846
Canvas, oil. 222 x 335 cm
Higher Naval Engineering School named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky

"Naval battle at Revel (May 9, 1790)"
1846
Oil on canvas 222 x 335
naval school them. F. E. Dzerzhinsky
Saint Petersburg
Russia

In 1840, Aivazovsky went to Italy. There he met with the bright figures of Russian literature, art, science - Gogol, Alexander Ivanov, Botkin, Panaev. At the same time, in 1841, the artist changed the name Gaivazovsky to Aivazovsky.

Azure grotto. Naples
1841
74 x 100 cm
Canvas, oil
Romanticism, realism
Russia
Donetsk. Donetsk Art Museum,

View of the Venetian Lagoon
1841 76x118

The artist's activity in Rome begins with the study and copying of the works of the masters of the past, he works a lot on natural studies. In one of his letters, Aivazovsky said: “I, like a bee, collect honey from a flower garden.” Throughout his life, he returned to the landscapes of Italy, the harmonious coexistence of man and the sea in this country was imprinted in his memory as a model of beauty. Aivazovsky created about fifty large paintings in Italy. The success of the artist brought romantic seascapes "Storm", "Chaos", "Naples Bay on a moonlit night" (1839) and others. His painting “Chaos” was purchased by Vatican Museum. Pope Gregory XVI awarded the artist a gold medal. The artist's talent is recognized by art connoisseurs and colleagues. A. Ivanov notes the ability of Aivazovsky in depicting the sea, the engraver F. Jordan claims that Aivazovsky is the pioneer of the genre of marine painting in Rome.

"Chaos. World creation"
1841
Oil on canvas 106 x 75
Museum of the Armenian Mekhitarist Congregation
Venice. Island of St. Lazarus

"Gulf of Naples"
1841
Oil on canvas 73 x 108

View of Constantinople at night
1846 120x189.5

"View of Constantinople by Moonlight"
1846
Oil on canvas 124 x 192
State Russian Museum
Saint Petersburg
Russia

1850
Oil on canvas 121 x 190

Feodosia

"Gulf of Naples in moonlit night»
1892
Oil on canvas 45 x 73
Collection of A. Shahinyan
NY

In 1843, the artist's journey begins with an exhibition of paintings across Europe. “Rome, Naples, Venice, Paris, London, Amsterdam honored me with the most flattering encouragement,” Aivazovsky recalled. One of them is the title of academician, awarded by the Amsterdam Academy of Fine Arts. As the only representative of Russian art, he participated in international exhibition organized in the Louvre. Ten years later, he was the first foreign artists became a Knight of the Legion of Honor.

"Shipwreck"
1843
Oil on canvas 116 x 189
Feodosia Art Gallery. I. K. Aivazovsky
Feodosia
Russia

In 1844, two years ahead of schedule, Aivazovsky returned to Russia. Upon his return to his homeland, the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts honors him with the title of academician. The Department of the Navy awarded him honorary title artist of the Main Naval Staff with the right to wear the Admiralty uniform and instructed "an extensive and complex order" - to paint all Russian military ports on the Baltic Sea. During the winter months of 1844-1845. Aivazovsky fulfilled a government order and created a number of beautiful marinas.

"Russian squadron on the Sevastopol roadstead"
1846
Canvas, oil. 121 x 191 cm
State Russian Museum

In 1845, together with the expedition of F.P. Litke, Aivazovsky visited the coast of Turkey and Asia Minor. During this voyage, he made a large number of pencil drawings, which served him for many years as material for creating paintings, which he always painted in the studio. Returning from the expedition, Aivazovsky leaves for Feodosia. “This feeling or habit is my second nature. I willingly spend the winter in St. Petersburg, - the artist wrote, - but it will blow a little in the spring, I am attacked by homesickness - I am drawn to the Crimea, to the Black Sea.

View of Feodosia
1845
70 x 96 cm
Canvas, oil
Romanticism, realism
Russia
Yerevan. State Art Gallery of Armenia

Theodosius. Sunrise
1852 60x90

In Feodosia, the artist built a studio house on the seashore and finally settled here. In winter, he usually visited St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia with his exhibitions, sometimes he traveled abroad. 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, he traveled to America. During sea voyages, he enriched his observations, and drawings accumulated in his folders. The artist spoke about his creative method: “A person who is not gifted with a memory that preserves the impressions of wildlife can be an excellent copyist, a living photographic apparatus, but never a true artist. The movements of the living elements are elusive for the brush: writing lightning, a gust of wind, a splash of a wave is unthinkable from nature. The plot of the picture is formed in my memory, like the plot of a poem in a poet ... ".

Meeting of fishermen on the shores of the Gulf of Naples 1842 58х85
"Meeting of fishermen"
Canvas, oil. 58 x 85 cm
State Tretyakov Gallery

"Gondelier at sea at night"
1843
Oil on canvas 73 x 112
State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan
Kazan
Russia

"Venetian Lagoon. View of the island of San Giorgio»
1844
Wood, oil. 22.5 x 34.5 cm
State Tretyakov Gallery

Mill on the seashore 1851 50x57

"Sunrise in Feodosia"
1855
Oil on canvas 82 x 117

Yerevan

"Georgievsky Monastery. Cape Fiolent»
1846
Oil on canvas 122.5 x 192.5
Feodosia Art Gallery. I. K. Aivazovsky
Feodosia

View of Odessa on a moonlit night
1846
122 x 190 cm
Canvas, oil
Romanticism, realism
Russia

"View of Odessa from the sea"
1865
Oil on canvas 45 x 58
State Art Gallery of Armenia
Yerevan

Aivazovsky's painting of the forties and fifties was marked by a strong influence of the romantic traditions of K. P. Bryullov, which affected the artist's painting skills. Like Bryullov, he strives to create grandiose colorful canvases. This is very clearly reflected in battle scene"Chesme Battle", written by him in 1848, dedicated to an outstanding naval battle. 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, which has turned into a blazing fire, is flying into the air. On 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. On the water, you can discern the wreckage of Turkish ships with groups of sailors calling for help, and other details.

"Chesme battle June 25-26, 1770"
1848
Oil on canvas 220 x 188
Feodosia Art Gallery. I. K. Aivazovsky
Feodosia

Review of the Black Sea Fleet in 1849
1886 131х249

"Brig Mercury attacked by two Turkish ships"
1892
Canvas, oil

"Brig" Mercury "after defeating two Turkish ships, meets with the Russian squadron"
1848
Oil on canvas 123 x 190
State Russian Museum
Saint Petersburg

"Storm at sea at night"
1849
Oil on canvas 89 x 106
Palaces-museums and parks of Petrodvorets
Peterhof, Leningrad region

Aivazovsky's contribution to battle painting is significant. He captured episodes of the Sevastopol defense, repeatedly referred to the heroic deeds of the Russian navy: “Each victory of our troops on land or at sea,” the artist wrote, “pleases me, as a Russian at heart, and gives an idea how the artist can depict it on canvas...”.

"Storm"
1850
Oil on canvas 82 x 117
State Art Gallery of Armenia
Yerevan

Aivazovsky was the last and most prominent representative romantic direction in Russian painting. His best romantic works of the second half of the 1940s and 1950s are: “Storm on the Black Sea” (1845), “Georgievsky Monastery” (1846), “Entrance to the Sevastopol Bay” (1851).

Entrance to the Sevastopol Bay 1852

View of Constantinople by moonlight
1846
124 x 192 cm
Canvas, oil
Romanticism, realism
Russia
Saint Petersburg. State Russian Museum

View of the Leander Tower in Constantinople
1848
Canvas, oil
58 x 45.3
Tretyakov Gallery

The largest marine painter in Russian painting of the 19th century, I.K. Aivazovsky, traveled a lot and often included in his seascapes images of famous architectural structures. The Leandrov (Maiden) Tower depicted in the painting was built in the 12th century on a small rock at the entrance to the strait of Istanbul Harbor and has long served as a lighthouse and a mooring place for ships. It is still used as a lighthouse today. The tower rises against the background of a golden sky, the rays of the setting sun paint the surface of the sea water in mother-of-pearl tones, and the silhouettes of the buildings of the ancient city appear in the distance. Soft sunlight romanticizes the landscape created by the artist.

"Moonlight night"
1849
Oil on canvas 123 x 192
State Russian Museum
Saint Petersburg

sunset on the sea
1856
121.5x188

“Night in the Crimea. View of Ayudag»
1859
Oil on canvas 63 x 83
Odessa Art Museum
Odessa

Storm
1857
100x49

The fifties are associated with the Crimean War of 1853-1856. As soon as the rumor about the Battle of Sinop reached Aivazovsky, 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. Admiral Nakhimov, highly appreciating the work of Aivazovsky, especially the night battle, said: "The picture is extremely well done."

"Sinop battle (daytime version)"
1853
Canvas, oil

"Sinop battle on November 18, 1853 (the night after the battle)"
1853
Canvas, oil. 220 x 331 cm
Central Naval Museum

The capture of the Turkish military transport Messina on the Black Sea by the Rossiya steamship on December 13, 1877

The battle of the steamer "Vesta" with the Turkish battleship "Fekhti-Bulend" in the Black Sea on July 11, 1877

In the work of Aivazovsky, one can find paintings on a wide variety of topics, for example, images of the nature of Ukraine. He loved the boundless Ukrainian steppes and depicted them with inspiration in his works (“Chumatsky Convoy” (1868), “Ukrainian Landscape” (1868)), while coming close to the landscape of the masters of Russian ideological realism. Aivazovsky's closeness to Gogol, Shevchenko, Sternberg played a role in this attachment to Ukraine.

Chumaks on vacation
1885

Convoy in the steppe

"Ukrainian landscape with chumaks in the moonlight"
1869
Canvas, oil. 60 x 82 cm
State Tretyakov Gallery

Windmills in the Ukrainian Steppe at sunset
1862 51х60

"A flock of sheep in a storm"
1861
Oil on canvas 76 x 125
Collection of A. Shahinyan
NY

Surroundings of Yalta at night
1866

Neighborhood of Yalta
1863
20.2x28

Storm in the North Sea
1865 269x195

Sunset on the sea
1866

Moonlit night on the Bosphorus
1894 49.7x75.8

After the storm. Moon rise
1894 41x58

"View of the sea from the mountains at sunset"
1864
Oil on canvas 122 x 170
State Russian Museum
Saint Petersburg

"Global flood"
1864
Oil on canvas 246.5 x 369
State Russian Museum
Saint Petersburg

"Death of Pompeii"
1889
Oil on canvas 128 x 218
Rostov regional museum fine arts
Rostov
to be continued...

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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 requires 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 it began Patriotic War 1812, 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 already 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 little artist 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 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 him to the capital best drawings. 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.

It is good to draw, at least from the originals, a human figure, to draw orders of architecture and to have preliminary information in the sciences, so as not to deprive this young man occasions 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 artist's soul filled the longing for the familiar south with beautiful views of the city 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 were also brought together by music - 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 complete a summer internship on the ships of the Baltic Fleet. Created just a hundred years ago, the fleet was already a formidable force of the 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 he spent time great poet. 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 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. At the last moment, they discovered 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 for a long time I kept this 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 threatened deadly 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 received 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 such dear to my heart sea, 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 were held either in St. Petersburg or in Moscow in completely different places, either for money or for free. And at each exhibition there was the presence of Aivazovsky. He received thanks, came to visit, accepted gifts and orders. Free time was rare in this hustle and bustle. Created one of the most famous paintings- "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 an art school, but is denied funding by 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 are created on biblical themes, battle paintings that 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, travels around the Caucasus, Armenia, devotes all his free time to 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 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 warmth from Yulia is not to be expected, he invites her, together with her daughter Zhanna, to next year will go to Italy. 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. The entire high society of St. 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 to political motives. 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 (Hovhannes Ayvazyan) was born in Feodosia on July 29, 1817. His father, Konstantin Grigoryevich Aivazovsky, an Armenian by nationality, married an Armenian compatriot named Hripsime. Ivan (or Hovhannes - he was given that name at birth) had three sisters and a brother Gabriel (at birth - Sargis), who later became an Armenian historian and priest. Konstantin Aivazovsky was a merchant, initially quite prosperous, but in 1812 he went bankrupt due to the plague.

Even as a child, Ivan Aivazovsky showed outstanding artistic and musical abilities - for example, he mastered playing the violin without outside help. Yakov Khristianovich Kokh, an architect from Feodosia, was the first to notice artistic talents young Ivan and taught him initial lessons skill. He supplied Aivazovsky with pencils, paper, paints, and also attracted the attention of A. I. Kaznacheev, the mayor of Feodosia, to the boy's talents.

Aivazovsky graduated from the Feodosia district school, then was admitted to the Simferopol gymnasium with the assistance of the mayor, who by that time had already turned into an admirer of the young man's talent. Following this, he was enrolled in the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (training in which was carried out at the expense of the state), thanks to the recommendation of the German painter Johann Ludwig Gross, the first drawing teacher for young Aivazovsky. Sixteen-year-old Ivan Aivazovsky arrived in St. Petersburg in 1833.

In 1835, Aivazovsky's landscapes "View of the seaside in the vicinity of St. Petersburg" and "Study of air over the sea" were awarded a silver medal, the artist was appointed assistant to the fashionable French landscape painter Philip Tanner. The latter forbade Aivazovsky to write independently, but young artist continued to paint landscapes, and in the fall of 1836, five of his paintings were presented at the exhibition of the Academy of Arts, all of which received favorable reviews from critics.

But Philip Tanner filed a complaint against Aivazovsky to the Tsar, and at the direction of Nicholas I, all the artist's works were removed from the exhibition. Aivazovsky was pardoned six months later. He was transferred to the class of military marine painting under the guidance of Professor Alexander Ivanovich Sauerweid. After a few months of training with Sauerweid, Aivazovsky was waiting for unprecedented success - in the fall of 1837 he was awarded the Big Gold Medal for the painting "Calm", thus earning the right to travel to the Crimea and Europe.

The period of creativity from 1838 to 1844.

In the spring of 1838 the artist went to the Crimea, where he lived until the summer of 1839. main theme his works were not only seascapes, but also battle scenes. At the suggestion of General Raevsky, Aivazovsky took part in hostilities on the Circassian coast in the valley of the Shakhe River. There he made sketches for the future canvas "Landing of the detachment in the valley of Subashi", which he wrote later; then this canvas was acquired by Nicholas I. By the autumn of 1839, the painter returned to St. Petersburg, on September 23 he was awarded a certificate of graduation from the Academy of Arts, the first rank and personal nobility.

During this period of time, Aivazovsky became a member of the circle of the artist Karla Bryullova and composer Mikhail Glinka. In the summer of 1840, the artist, together with his friend from the Academy, Vasily Shternberg, went to Italy. Rome was their final destination, stopping in Florence and Venice along the way. In Venice, Aivazovsky made acquaintance with N.V. Gogol, and also visited the island of St. Lazarus, where he met his brother Gabriel. Settling in southern Italy, in Sorrento, he worked in his own unique way - he spent only a short time outdoors, and in the studio he recreated the landscape, improvising and giving free rein to fantasy. The painting "Chaos" was acquired by Pope Gregory XVI, who gave the painter a gold medal as a reward for this work. "Italian" period of creativity the artist is considered very successful both from a commercial point of view and from the point of view of criticism - for example, the work of Ivan Konstantinovich earned a high rating from the English painter William Turner. The Paris Academy of Arts awarded Aivazovsky's paintings with a gold medal.

In 1842, Aivazovsky visited Switzerland and Germany, then went to Holland, from there to England, and later visited Paris, Portugal and Spain. It was not without incident - in the Bay of Biscay, he fell into a storm and almost sank the ship on which Ivan Konstantinovich was sailing, and information appeared in the Parisian press about the death of the artist. In the autumn of 1844, after a four-year journey, Aivazovsky returned to his homeland.

Later career, period from 1844 to 1895

In 1844, Ivan Konstantinovich was awarded the title of painter of the Main Naval Staff, in 1847 - professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He was an honorary member of five Academies of Arts in European cities - Paris, Rome, Florence, Stuttgart, Amsterdam.

The basis of creativity Aivazovsky was a maritime theme, he created a series of portraits of the cities of the Crimean coast. Among marine painters, Aivazovsky has no equal - he captured the sea as a stormy element with menacing foaming waves, and at the same time he painted numerous landscapes of amazing beauty depicting sunrises and sunsets on the sea. Although among the canvases of Aivazovsky there are also views of land (mainly mountain landscapes), as well as portraits - the sea is undoubtedly his native element.

He was one of the founders Cimmerian school landscape painting , conveying on the canvas the beauty of the Black Sea coast of the eastern Crimea.

His career can be called brilliant - he had the rank of rear admiral and was awarded many orders. Total Aivazovsky's works exceed 6000.

Aivazovsky did not like metropolitan life, he was irresistibly drawn to the sea, and in 1845 he returned to hometown- Feodosia, where he lived until the end of his life. He received the title of the first honorary citizen of Feodosia.

He was not only outstanding artist, but also a philanthropist - he founded an art school and an art gallery with the money he earned. Aivazovsky made a lot of efforts to improve Feodosia: he initiated the construction railway, which connected Feodosia and Dzhankoy in 1892; thanks to him, water supply appeared in the city. He was also interested in archeology, he was engaged in the protection of Crimean monuments, participated in archaeological excavations (some of the items found were transferred to the Hermitage). At his own expense, Aivazovsky erected a new building for the Feodosia Historical and Archaeological Museum.

To the Palestinian Society, which was headed by I. I. Tchaikovsky, brother famous composer, Ivan Konstantinovich donated his work "Walking on the Waters".

Completion of a career and the last days of the painter

Aivazovsky died on May 2, 1900 in Feodosia, having reached old age (he lived for 82 years).

Before last day Aivazovsky wrote - one of his last canvases is called “Sea Bay”, and the painting “The Explosion of a Turkish Ship” remained unfinished due to the sudden death of the artist. The unfinished painting remained on the easel in the painter's studio.

Ivan Konstantinovich buried in Feodosia, in the fence of a medieval Armenian temple. Three years later, the painter's widow installed a marble tombstone on his grave - a white marble sarcophagus by the Italian sculptor L. Biogioli.

In 1930, a monument to Aivazovsky was erected in Feodosia in front of the eponymous art gallery. The painter is represented sitting on a pedestal and peering into the sea distance, in his hands is a palette and a brush.

Family

Aivazovsky was married twice. He first married in 1848 to an Englishwoman Julia Grevs, daughter of a St. Petersburg doctor. In this marriage, which lasted 12 years, four daughters were born. At the beginning family life was prosperous, then a crack appeared in the relationship of the spouses - Yulia Yakovlevna wanted to live in the capital, and Ivan Konstantinovich preferred his native Feodosia. The final divorce took place in 1877, and in 1882 Aivazovsky remarried - his wife was Anna Nikitichna Sarkisova, a young merchant's widow. Despite the fact that the husband was almost 40 years older than Anna Sarkisova, Aivazovsky's second marriage was successful.

It is curious that many of the grandchildren of the great painter followed in his footsteps and became artists.