What or who is responsible for the manifestation and development of talent in a person? Successful heredity, good upbringing or a sensitive teacher who noticed the "spark of God" in time? Or maybe a coincidence or a combination of circumstances that helped flare up the flames of talent?
Reading the biography of Ivanov Andrei Ivanovich, it seems that fate did not give him the slightest chance to live such a creatively vibrant life. But this happened, and he remarkably realized himself as an artist, and as a father, and as a teacher.
Come from childhood
A boy "without clan and tribe", an orphan-foundling from an educational house in Moscow. What could he count on, what kind of life to dream about? Today we will not know. In the XVIII century it was not customary to keep daily diaries or blogs. Thanks to those teachers or educators who saw the craving for beauty and artistic abilities in their six-year-old pupil. Thanks to this Ivanov Andrey Ivanovich in 1782 was sent to study at the Academy of Arts.
Education and accommodation in the capital was paid for by the Board of Trustees. Fifteen years of study under the guidance of a wonderful teacher, the founder of the genre of historical painting in Russia, Grigory Ivanovich Ugryumov, were not in vain. The aspiring painter diligently listened to him and other mentors, among whom was Gabriel-Francois Doyen, the head of the historical class.
Career. Ups and downs
The talent of the young artist received professional and public recognition already during the student years. At age 19 - a silver medal, the first award, at 21 - a gold medal for the first large-scale canvas "Noah, upon leaving the ark, sacrifices to God." Since 1798 - a full-time teacher of the Academy, since 1802 he has been an associate professor. After writing the painting "Adam and Eve with children under the tree of knowledge after expulsion from paradise", he becomes an academician in 1803. A rich creative and teaching activity, shrouded in public recognition, continues until 1830.
Emperor Nicholas I did not like the death of General Kulnev, based on real events. The immense resentment was followed by the forced resignation of a member of the Academy of Arts. Passions and intrigues in the creative world were in full swing, at the same time as Ivanov, other academy professors, including rector S. S. Pimenov, were also dismissed. The emperor’s anger is just a formal reason for dismissing the oldest teachers. The civil service remained in the past, and eighteen years of fruitful creative life lay ahead.
Creation
Two main topics remained central to the artist on his creative path. The history of Russia, ancient and modern, as well as biblical subjects, are reflected in the most famous paintings of Andrei Ivanovich Ivanov.
The genre of historical painting is characterized by a well-tuned composition, a refined technique of oil painting and a high school of drawing. In the unspoken hierarchy of genres, historical painting dominated.
A. A. Pisarev created a list of historical subjects recommended for artistic expression, and published them in a separate book, "Objects for the Artist." Ivanov Andrei Ivanovich, for sure, was familiar with this work and used the plots from it in his work.
Fathers and Sons
Not often a successful creative life is accompanied by a happy family life. In this case, everything coincided. In 1800, Andrei Ivanov Ivanov was married to Ekaterina Ivanovna, Demert as a girl. She became the wife of the artist, his muse, a model for the female characters of his paintings. More than four decades in love and harmony, surrounded by children - this is not given to everyone.
Alexander Andreevich Ivanov is the eldest son, the heir of not only the family name, but also the artistic talent of his father. Noticing the ability and passion for drawing, Ivan the elder allows a 12-year-old boy to informally attend painting classes at the academy. A well-known surname is not only help and opportunities, but also envy and accusations of parental protection. This is happening now, it was the same at the dawn of the 19th century. The need to prove their own significance and family persistence determined the whole career of Alexander Andreevich. While instructing and supporting his son, Andrei Ivanovich did not have time to see the main work of his life - the painting "The Appearance of Christ to the People."
Sergei Andreevich Ivanov was born shortly before his father’s resignation, when his older brother already received medals and diplomas for his work. Now, the entire pedagogical talent of the former professor focused on his youngest son. His first sketches at the Academy are awarded, but Sergey Andreevich chooses his own path and goes into the class of architecture. Teachers note his unusually subtle sense of plastic form. As an assistant to K.A. Ton, he participates in the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
The triumph of Andrei Ivanov's beloved student, Karl Bryullov, came in the difficult year of his dismissal from the academy. Karl Pavlovich was not only a brilliant painter, but also a grateful student. A laurel wreath handed to him for outstanding services, he publicly laid on the head of his disgraced teacher at that moment.
Miraculous monument
How to take stock of life? What is most important, which is secondary? Dozens of paintings, some of which were lost, were highly appreciated by contemporaries. Studying them, more than one generation of painters has grown.
Talented children and outstanding students who left a significant mark in Russian and world art. He died in 1848. The burial place is unknown.