In what era did Aivazovsky live? The mystery of Aivazovsky: why did the marine painter change his last name? My sincere desire is that the building of my art gallery in the city of Feodosia with all the paintings, statues and other works of art located in this gallery

Most outstanding artist-Armenian of the 19th century. Brother of the Armenian historian and priest Gabriel Aivazovsky.

Origin of the Aivazovsky family

Hovhannes (Ivan) Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was born into the family of merchant Konstantin (Gevorg) and Hripsime Aivazovsky. On July 17 (29), 1817, the priest of the Armenian church in the city of Feodosia recorded that “Hovhannes, son of Gevorg Ayvazyan” was born to Konstantin (Gevorg) Aivazovsky and his wife Hripsime. Aivazovsky's ancestors were from Galician Armenians who moved to Galicia from Turkish Armenia in the 18th century. It is known that his relatives owned large land properties in the Lviv region, but no documents more accurately describing Aivazovsky's origins have survived. His father Konstantin (Gevorg) and after moving to Feodosia wrote his surname in the Polish manner: “Gayvazovsky” (the surname is a Polonized form 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 Danube principalities (Moldova, Wallachia) where he took up trade, from there to Feodosia; knew several languages.

Most sources attribute only Armenian origin to Aivazovsky. Lifetime publications dedicated to Aivazovsky convey from his words a family legend that among his ancestors there were Turks. According to these publications, the artist’s late father told him that the artist’s great-grandfather (according to Bludova - according to female line) was the son of a Turkish military leader and, as a child, during the capture of Azov by Russian troops (1696) he was saved from death by a certain Armenian who baptized him and adopted him (option - a soldier). After the artist’s death (in 1901), his biographer N.N. Kuzmin told the same story in his book, but about the artist’s father, citing an unnamed document in Aivazovsky’s archive

Biography

Childhood and studies

The artist’s father, Konstantin Grigorievich 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 trading affairs were successful, but during the plague epidemic of 1812 he went bankrupt.

Ivan Aivazovsky discovered artistic and musical abilities; in particular, he taught himself to play the violin. Feodosia architect - Kokh Yakov Khristianovich, who was the first to draw attention to artistic ability boy, gave him his first lessons in craftsmanship. Yakov Khristianovich also helped young Aivazovsky in every possible way, periodically giving him pencils, paper, and paints. He also recommended paying attention to young talent to the mayor of Feodosia. After graduating from the Feodosia district school, he was, with the help of the mayor, who at that time was already an admirer of the talent of the future artist, enrolled in the Simferopol gymnasium. Then it was accepted into the government account in Imperial Academy arts of St. Petersburg. Aivazovsky arrived in St. Petersburg on August 28, 1833. In 1835, for the landscapes “View of the seaside in the vicinity of St. Petersburg” and “Study of air over the sea” he received a silver medal and was assigned as an assistant to the fashionable French landscape painter Philippe Tanner. Studying with Tanner, Aivazovsky, despite the latter’s ban on working independently, continued to paint landscapes and exhibited five paintings at the autumn exhibition of the Academy of Arts in 1836. Aivazovsky's works received favorable reviews from critics. Tanner complained about Aivazovsky to Nicholas I, and by order of the Tsar, all of Aivazovsky's paintings were removed from the exhibition. The artist was forgiven only six months later and assigned to a class battle painting to Professor Alexander Ivanovich Sauerweid for maritime studies military painting. Having studied in Sauerweid's class for only a few months, in September 1837 Aivazovsky received the Great gold medal for the painting "Calm". This gave him the right to a two-year trip to Crimea and Europe.

Already during his lifetime, the fame of the famous artist Ivan Aivazovsky rapidly and widely surrounded him with real world fame. Since 1846, one hundred and twenty of his personal exhibitions have been held abroad and in Russia. Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich was an honorary member of the European art academies: Rome, Amsterdam, Paris, Florence and others. The Florence Academy invited him to paint a self-portrait (previously, only Kiprensky had received such an honor among Russian artists).

Chaos. 1838. Oil on cardboard

The Pope expressed a desire to purchase his painting “Chaos” for the Vatican

Moonlight night In Cyprus. 1871. Oil on canvas. 28x40

And the famous artist from England William Turner, admiring the work of Aivazovsky, dedicated poems in Italian to the canvas “Moonlit Night”.

View of the seaside in the vicinity of St. Petersburg

1835. Oil on canvas.

The list of successes can be continued indefinitely, because, according to one of Aivazovsky’s biographers, his life was “one of the happiest human lives,” “a real a fairy tale, eventful and beautiful, like a wonderful, captivating dream.” Indeed, the fate of the artist, who was born in 1817 in coastal Feodosia, was extremely successful, although it began in a rather peculiar way. His childhood drawings on the fences of the historical port city of Feodosia attracted the attention and interest of the Tauride governor A.I. Kaznacheev, who helped Aivazovsky enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, where very soon Nicholas I himself became his admirer and patron.

Road to Ai-Petri. 1894. Oil on canvas. 41.5x59.5

Nevertheless, the artist bore little resemblance to a fairy-tale magician with a magic wand. One of the most important components of Aivazovsky’s success was exceptional performance and productivity. Over the course of his entire life, Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky created approximately six thousand paintings. Anticipating practice modern masters from the “houses of high fashion”, the artist Aivazovsky acted as a large company that has an exclusive for the rich, has mass production, and also something for those who want to have a piece famous name, but do not have a lot of money for this. In addition to his paintings, a large and average size, there was also a so-called “gift” option, which was a photographic card of the maestro at his easel, where instead of a picture, a canvas the size of postage stamp, but with the same initial "A" in the corner.

Dante points the artist to unusual clouds.

1883. Oil on canvas.

This great amount paintings could be painted if only one had the skills for quick writing techniques. This speed was legendary. It is known, for example, that the huge canvas “A Moment of the Universe” (1864), a version of the repetition of “Chaos”, was painted in one day. Aivazovsky himself somewhat flaunted his capabilities and even occasionally showed his admirers creative process like a kind of magic trick: he began to paint a picture from a blank canvas and, in front of the astonished spectators’ eyes, he completely finished it in an hour or two. So, in the presence of General A.P. Ermolov created “View of the Caucasian rocks off the coast of the Black Sea” within about two hours.

Sheep in the pasture. 1850s. Canvas, oil. 60x89.5

The speed of work was facilitated by Aivazovsky’s amazing memory. It is known that at the beginning creative path Ivan Aivazovsky tried to paint landscapes from life: it turned out to be long and boring, while views painted from memory turned out to be fresh and emotional. Therefore, the artist very quickly abandoned working on full-scale studies and sketches, making only cursory sketches in the album. Such a system required extreme concentration and concentration.

Italian landscape. Evening

1858. Oil on canvas.

The need to write from memory was given a theoretical justification by Aivazovsky. Aivazovsky was often copied and forged. The antique market is flooded with fake Aivazovs. And although the plot external features The artist's manners are easily accessible to copyists, the secrets of his rather sophisticated technology remain hidden from them, and his confident skill is inaccessible. Aivazovsky’s imitators are especially far from his professional precision in the image of ship equipment. In the summer of 1838, young Ivan Konstantinovich took part in naval maneuvers off the coast of the former possession of the Dadians - Mingrelia. At that time he met the vice admiral of the Russian fleet, the hero Crimean War V. A. Kornilov, Russian naval commander and navigator Admiral M.P. Lazarev and an excellent sailor who considered serving in the navy the only meaning and purpose of his life - Admiral P.S. Nakhimov. They eagerly explained to the painter how the ships worked. His knowledge of how a ship heels in the wind, sinks or burns was precise, not approximate. Even the secret details of the designs of Russian warships of that time were familiar to him. Aivazovsky’s house in Feodosia had a rich collection of sailing ship models, and the artist experienced the death of the Russian fleet during the unsuccessful Crimean campaign as a personal grief.

Landscape with a sailboat. 1855.

Paper, papier-pele, graphite and Italian pencils, scratching.

As an extensive legacy, Aivazovsky gave both portraits and genre painting, and plain landscapes, and compositions on biblical themes. However, his work remained highly specialized. “Land” Aivazovsky, as a rule, was much inferior to his seascapes. The main merit Aivazovsky can be considered as laying the foundation for the development of a motif that before him had not received much attention from Russian artists and had been thoroughly forgotten by Western European masters - the sea as a self-sufficient element, the sea as a theme. In the 19th century, artists mainly painted the sea off the coast. “Aivazovsky... works quickly, but well: he exclusively deals with marine views, and since there is no artist of this kind here (in Italy), he was glorified and praised,” - this is how Alexander Ivanov explained the reason for Aivazovsky’s tremendous success.

Ninth wave. 1850. Oil on canvas

The brilliant artist did not change the theme he found throughout his life, developing it with unflagging passion. For him, the sea acquired the meaning of a symbol, a comprehensive metaphor. This is the arena of action and recent historical dramas, and events of biblical history. As a metaphor for poetic inspiration (it’s not without reason that Pushkin, Dante, and Sappho appear in the paintings against the backdrop of the sea), its sea is associated with quotes from school anthologies: from “The lonely sail turns white...” to “Farewell, free elements...”, and masterpieces of Russian poetry seems to reinforce and support the landscapes of the marine painter. Aivazovsky's Sea is also a metaphor human life, vicissitudes of fate (analogous to the medieval wheel of fortune). It is not for nothing that Kramskoy introduces the image of one of Aivazovsky’s best works - “The Black Sea” - into his painting “Inconsolable Grief” - as a sign of fate with its ups and downs.

Rainbow. 1873. Oil on canvas

As a true romantic, Ivan Konstantinovich needed a huge scale; he was attracted by nature itself with its sensations: floods, waterfalls, storms, wrecks. The artist forever retained in his soul the shock he received from “ Last day Pompeii" by Karl Bryullov. The secret of the impact of Aivazovsky’s paintings is in the direct emotional connection of the viewer. In his best works- “The Ninth Wave”, “Black Sea”, “Rainbow”, “Among the Waves” - the sea is surprisingly real.

Storm on the Arctic Ocean. 1864. Oil on canvas

I remember the horror of the first cinema viewers, who were frightened by the sight of a train rushing towards them, forcing them to duck their heads. The hearts of contemporaries also sank in front of Aivazovsky’s paintings: what if it hits you, what if you choke, what if you drown? General A.P. perfectly described the feelings of simple-minded spectators in his letter to the artist. Ermolov. From the words of this letter it is clear that Aivazovsky’s paintings lead the viewer’s feelings into a panicky fear of the elements of nature, from storms and waves, without finding salvation from death. But, at the same time, his other masterpieces make amazed spectator spend an unforgettable, fabulous and delightful night on the shore, enjoying the tranquility of the sea under the light of a fantastic moon.

Foggy morning in Italy. 1864. Oil on canvas

Indeed, Aivazovsky loved to work in contrast: a menacing storm, a cold wind and the gentle peace of the hour before sunset or the silence of the night. He often made paired paintings of the same size with opposite moods, for example, from the collection of the Feodosia Art Gallery, which bears his name, “Storm on the Arctic Ocean” and “Foggy Morning in Italy.”

Explosion of the Arkadion Monastery. 1867. Oil on canvas.

The artist’s social temperament is also striking. He was a true benefactor of his region: with his own funds he built an archaeological museum in his beloved seaside Feodosia, concert hall, financed archaeological excavations, founded the Feodosia painting gallery and library, organized an art school called “General Workshop”.

Sheep driven into the sea by a storm.

Sketch. Fragment. 1861. Oil on canvas.

IN creative life The genius Aivazovsky has paradoxes. He was a Russian artist, although he was Armenian by upbringing and Turkish by origin. All his life he wrote “free elements”, was considered the greatest master of late romanticism - and was the most beloved a brilliant artist Nicholas I. He wore a uniform as a “painter of the Main Naval Staff”. He communicated with Bryullom and his “brothers,” but did not like to participate in their revelry and generally did not accept the bohemian lifestyle. The romanticism of Aivazovsky’s work coexisted without conflict with pragmatism and practicality in life. As a result, his personality became overgrown with real and imagined anecdotes with elements of farce. The case of the flock of sheep belonging to Aivazovsky is very indicative. Frightened by the storm, the sheep rushed into the sea from a cliff and died. Then Aivazovsky painted a picture based on this plot, successfully sold it and purchased a new herd with the proceeds.

Ships in a stormy sea. Sunrise. 1871.

Canvas, oil.

Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich lived a long and interesting life(he died in 1900), combining two eras, two half of the 19th century centuries. He had a chance to personally communicate with Pushkin, Bryullov and Kramskoy. Changed before his eyes political situation, aesthetic movements were born and died. But they didn’t seem to touch him. His sea is stormy and agitated, his sailboats are torn by the wind and broken into pieces by storms, but he himself is as unshakable as a rock. Incredibly popular during his lifetime, Aivazovsky and for modern viewers of our time causes genuine delight among viewers; his works are “hunted” by museums, auctions and private collectors. Internationally art market Aivazovsky is one of the most valued and expensive Russian painters.

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky is a famous Russian marine painter, author of more than six thousand canvases. Professor, academician, philanthropist, honorary member of the Academies of Arts of St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, Rome, Stuttgart, Paris and Florence.

The future artist was born in Feodosia, in 1817, into the family of Gevork and Hripsime Gaivazovsky. Hovhannes’s mother (the Armenian version of the name Ivan) was a purebred Armenian, and his father came from Armenians who migrated from Western Armenia, which found itself under Turkish rule, to Galicia. Gevork settled in Feodosia under the name Gaivazovsky, writing it down in the Polish manner.

Hovhannes's father was amazing person, enterprising, savvy. Dad knew Turkish, Hungarian, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian and even Gypsy languages. In Crimea, Gevork Ayvazyan, who became Konstantin Grigorievich Gaivazovsky, very successfully engaged in trade. In those days, Feodosia grew rapidly, acquiring the status of an international port, but all the successes of the enterprising merchant were reduced to zero by the 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. Repsime's mother helped her husband by selling her elaborate 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 and small fishing boats entering the port, admiring the extraordinary beauty of the landscape, sunsets, storms and calms.

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 his son’s masterpieces, but did not scold him, but thought deeply. From the age of ten, Ivan worked in a coffee shop, helping his family, which did not at all prevent him from growing up as an intelligent and talented child.

As a child, Aivazovsky himself learned to play the violin, and, of course, constantly drew. Fate brought him together with the Feodosia architect Yakov Koch, and this moment is considered to be a turning point, defining in the biography of the future brilliant marine painter. Noticing the boy's artistic abilities, 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 of 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 the talented child. Ivan began to visit her home often, and the society lady put her library, a collection of engravings, and books on painting and art at his disposal. The boy worked incessantly, copying famous works, drew studies, sketches.

With the assistance of the portrait painter Salvator Tonchi, Naryshkina turned to Olenin, the 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 young man’s talent, 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 at the Academy in Vorobyov’s landscape class. The experienced teacher immediately appreciated the 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 the virtuoso painter that Ivan Konstantinovich soon became.

Very quickly the student surpassed the teacher, and Vorobiev recommended Aivazovsky to Philip Tanner, a French marine painter who arrived in St. Petersburg. Tanner and Aivazovsky did not get along in character. 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 Ivan Konstantinovich’s works was awarded a silver medal, he was also praised by one metropolitan newspaper, but the Frenchman was reproached for mannerisms. Philip, burning with anger and envy, complained to the emperor about a disobedient student who had no right to exhibit his works at an exhibition without the knowledge of the teacher.

Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "The Ninth Wave"

Formally, the Frenchman was right, and Nicholas ordered the paintings to be removed from the exhibition, and Aivazovsky himself fell out of favor at court. A talented artist supported the best minds capitals with whom he managed to make acquaintance: , President of the Academy Olenin. As a result, the matter was decided in favor of Ivan, for whom Alexander Sauerweid, who taught painting to the imperial offspring, stood up.

Nikolai awarded Aivazovsky and even sent him and 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’s difficult to write battle scenes and ships, without knowing their structure).

Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Rainbow"

Sauerweid became Aivazovsky's teacher in battle painting. A few months later, in September 1837, the 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 no longer give him anything.

Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Moonlit Night on the Bosphorus"

At the age of 20, Ivan Aivazovsky became the youngest graduate of the Academy of Arts (according to the rules, he was supposed to study for another three years) and went on an paid trip: first to his native Crimea for two years, and then to Europe for six years. Happy artist returned to his native Feodosia, then traveled around the Crimea, participated in the amphibious landing in Circassia. During this time he wrote many works, including peace 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, and from there to Florence and Rome. During this trip, Ivan Konstantinovich met with his older brother Gabriel, a monk on the island of St. Lazarus, and became acquainted with. In Italy, the artist studied the works of great masters and wrote a lot himself. He exhibited his paintings everywhere, and many were sold out immediately.

Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Chaos"

The Pope himself wanted to buy his masterpiece “Chaos”. 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 the 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 was sailing was caught in a storm, and a terrible storm broke out. For some time there were rumors that the marine painter had died, but, fortunately, he managed to return home safe and sound.

Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky "Storm"

Aivazovsky fell lucky fate make acquaintances and even friendships with many outstanding people that era. The artist was closely acquainted with Nikolai Raevsky, Kiprensky, Bryullov, Zhukovsky, not to mention his friendship with the imperial family. And yet connections, wealth, fame did not seduce the artist. The main things in his life were always family, ordinary people, and his favorite job.

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, and sponsored the construction railway, the city water supply, fed from his personal source. At the end of his life, Ivan Konstantinovich remained as active and active as in his youth: he visited America with his wife, worked a lot, helped people, was engaged in charity, improvement of his native city and teaching.

Personal life

The personal life of the great painter is full of ups and downs. There were three loves, three women in his destiny. Aivazovsky’s first love was a dancer from Venice, world famous Maria Taglioni, who was 13 years older than him. The artist in love went to Venice to follow his muse, but the relationship was short-lived: the dancer chose ballet over the young man’s love.

In 1848, Ivan Konstantinovich Great love married Julia Grevs, the daughter of an Englishman who was the court physician of Nicholas I. The young couple went to Feodosia, where they had 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, suffering nervous disease. Julia wanted to live in the capital, attend balls, give parties, host social life, and the artist’s heart belonged to Feodosia and ordinary people. As a result, the marriage ended in divorce, which did not happen often at that time. With difficulty, the artist managed to maintain relationships with his daughters and their families: his grumpy wife turned the girls against their father.

Last love the artist met 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 was 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 home in Feodosia at the age of 82, in 1900. The unfinished painting “Ship Explosion” remained on the easel.

Best paintings

• "The Ninth Wave";
• "Shipwreck";
• "Night in Venice";
• "Brig Mercury attacked by two Turkish ships";
• “Moonlit night in Crimea. Gurzuf";
• "Moonlit Night on Capri";
• "Moonlit Night on the Bosphorus";
• "Walking on the Waters";
• "Chesme fight";
• "Moonwalk"
• "Bosphorus on a Moonlit Night";
• "A.S. Pushkin on the Black Sea coast";
• "Rainbow";
• "Sunrise in the Harbor";
• "Ship in the middle of a storm";
• "Chaos. World creation;
• "Calm";
• "Venice Night";
• "Global flood".

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (Armenian: 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.

The most outstanding artist of Armenian origin of the 19th century.
Brother of the Armenian historian and Archbishop of Armenia Apostolic Church Gabriel Aivazovsky.

Hovhannes (Ivan) Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was born into an Armenian family of merchant Gevork (Konstantin) and Hripsime Ayvazyan. On July 17 (29), 1817, the priest of the Armenian church in the city of Feodosia recorded that “Hovhannes, the son of Gevork Ayvazyan” was born to Konstantin (Gevorg) Aivazovsky and his wife Hripsime. Aivazovsky's ancestors were Armenians who moved to Galicia from Western Armenia in the 18th century. The artist’s grandfather’s name was Grigor Ayvazyan, his grandmother’s name was Ashkhen. It is known that his relatives owned large land properties in the Lvov region, but no documents have survived that more accurately describe Aivazovsky’s origins. His father Konstantin (Gevork) and after moving to Feodosia wrote his 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 Danube principalities (Moldova, Wallachia), where he took up trade, and from there to Feodosia.

Some lifetime publications dedicated to Aivazovsky convey from his words a family legend 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 side) was the son of a Turkish military leader and, as a child, during the capture of Azov by Russian troops (1696), he was saved from death by a certain Armenian, who baptized and adopted (option - a soldier).
After the artist’s death (in 1901), his biographer N.N. Kuzmin told the same story in his book, but this time about the artist’s father, citing an unnamed document in Aivazovsky’s archive; however, there is no evidence of the veracity of this legend.

The artist’s father, Konstantin Grigorievich 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 trading affairs were successful, but during the plague epidemic of 1812 he went bankrupt.

Ivan Aivazovsky discovered his artistic and musical abilities from childhood; in particular, he taught himself to play the violin. The Feodosia architect Yakov Khristianovich Koch, who was the first to pay attention to the boy’s artistic abilities, gave him his first lessons in craftsmanship. Yakov Khristianovich also helped 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 Treasurer. 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 of St. Petersburg.

Aivazovsky arrived in St. Petersburg on August 28, 1833. He initially studied in a 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 Philippe Tanner. Studying with Tanner, Aivazovsky, despite the latter’s ban on working 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 battle painting class of Professor Alexander Ivanovich Sauerweid to study naval military painting. Having studied in Sauerweid's class for only a few months, in September 1837 Aivazovsky received a Grand Gold Medal for the painting "Calm". In view of Aivazovsky's special successes in his studies, an unusual decision was made for the academy - to release Aivazovsky from the academy two years ahead of schedule and send him to Crimea for these two years for independent work, and after that - on a business trip abroad for six years.

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On July 17 (29), 1817, one of the greatest artists Russia - Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich (Hovhannes Gaivazovsky). His father was an Armenian businessman. He moved from Western Armenia to southern Poland. Mom, Hripsime, was a good embroiderer. In total, the family had two daughters and three sons.

U little Ivan Since childhood, he showed talent for music and drawing. He began studying at an Armenian parish school, then at the Simferopol gymnasium, then in 1833 he entered the Academy of Arts under M.N. Vorobyov in St. Petersburg, in the landscape class. He graduated from it in 1839.

Aivazovsky's first work was published in 1835 and appeared at an academic exhibition. It was "Study of air over the sea." The picture received positive reviews. Aivazovsky painted three more paintings with a marine theme and received a large gold medal for them in 1837.

The artist begins to work to order and goes on assignment to Crimea, where he needed to paint several Crimean landscapes. Then in 1840 he went to Italy, also for commissioned work. In Rome, Aivazovsky manages to exhibit his works. In general, his stay in Italy was very fruitful for him. He was able to meet such personalities as Gogol, Botkin, Panaev.

Then Aivazovsky goes to Venice to the island of St. Lazarus. There he was going to meet with his older brother Gabriel, who was a member of the Mekhitarist religious brotherhood. In the future, the artist will visit this place more than once. The next cities were Florence, Amalfia, Sorrento, Naples and Rome. Italy taught Aivazovsky a lot and left a mark on his work. Here he created 50 of his paintings. He organized exhibitions in Rome and Naples, thanks to which the artist’s fame began. The painting "Chaos" was especially highlighted; Pope Gregory XVI awarded Aivazovsky with a gold medal.

Further success accompanied him in Venice, London, Amsterdam, and Paris. He participated in international exhibition in the Louvre. In 1848, one of his famous works, “The Chesme Battle,” appeared. Since Aivazovsky wrote mainly from marine theme, he was given the opportunity to be present at the military operations of the Main Naval Headquarters. “The sea is my life” - this is what the artist said. During the period of his creativity, about 6,000 paintings were created! The peculiarity is that Aivazovsky never painted the sea from life. He always observed a lot and then reproduced it from memory. After all, he, in fact, correctly believed that the sea is too changeable to paint it from life. Aivazovsky, through his paintings, admired the power and strength of natural elements. In his works there were always people and natural element: whether it’s a fight in a storm, or a person against the backdrop of a calm sea.

In 1850, Aivazovsky creates a picture by which everyone recognizes him - “The Ninth Wave”. Around this time, his only foreign artist, awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor. Aivazovsky does not stay in St. Petersburg and moves to his homeland in Feodosia. In addition to painting, Aivazovsky was involved in charity work. He saved money from his work and invested it in the construction of the archaeological museum (Feodosia), and improved the city itself. He also had his own workshop in his hometown, where he trained young talents. Among them we can distinguish Kuindzhi, Lagorio, Bogaevsky.

In general, Aivazovsky loved to help, especially his to the Armenian people. In the 1840s, he organized a fundraiser to restore the work of the Armenian school in Constantinople, as well as Smyrna and Brus. While still in Constantinople, he painted landscapes to order for Sultan Abdul-Aziz himself.
Despite universal recognition in Europe, on native land in Russia, from the early 1870s, Aivazovsky’s paintings began to be criticized. This happened partly because the artist preferred to work alone and exhibited his paintings only on personal exhibitions(By the way, Avazovsky is the first Russian artist who began to do this). Thus, he distanced himself from the society of artists and writers. Still, as many believed, he did not fit into modern painting and creativity. It acquired national character, and Aivazovsky continued to paint the sea. After the criticism, there was a certain period when nothing was heard about the artist, no one wrote about him anywhere. Although, thanks to Aivazovsky, who became famous in Europe and gained national fame there, he also glorified Russian painting. While in his Armenian native land, he painted not only landscapes, but also portraits and scenes on a biblical theme.

In 1880, Aivazovsky built a museum-gallery next to his house; there were only 2 similar houses in Russia.
In 1882, Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky divorced. Soon after this he marries Anna Burnazyan. This marriage brought him even closer to the Armenian people.

The events that took place in Armenia in the 1890s greatly affected Aivazovsky. The Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid carried out massive attacks and defeats on the Armenian population, many people died. Impressed by these events, Aivazovsky painted the paintings “Pogrom of the Armenians in Trebizond”, “Armenians are loaded onto ships”, “Armenians are thrown alive into the sea”. He also helped refugees with housing.

The artist's last exhibition took place in St. Petersburg. After that he plans to go to Italy. But he doesn’t have time. Death came to the artist on April 19, 1900.

Currently, Aivazovsky is called the founder of the movement of marine art, the so-called painting romantic landscape.
His last film was “Byron’s Arrival on the Island of St. Lazarus.” Aivazovsky was buried in Feodosia, as he bequeathed, in the courtyard of the Surb Sargis church.

“Born mortal, left behind an immortal memory” is the inscription on his tombstone.