😉 Greetings art lovers! In the article “Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky: Pictures You Didn’t Know About” – about the little-known works of the great painter, battle artist, collector and patron of the arts. Lived: 1817-1900.
Since childhood, we have known this master as a painter of the sea, an artist of sea sunsets, calm, light sea breeze and foaming surf, storm and hurricane wind. We can stand for hours in the Hermitage hall dedicated to the masterpieces of this unsurpassed “Singer of the Sea”.
No wonder the young artist was appointed “the first painter of the Main Russian Naval Staff”. For services to the Fatherland, he was awarded the Order of St. Anna and the title of academician. But there is another Aivazovsky: little-known, rare, “not marine”.
Aivazovsky’s creativity
Ivan Konstantinovich was a good portrait painter. “The work of his hands” are magnificent portraits of the Turkish Sultan Abdul-Majid I, Russian Senator Alexander Kaznacheev, Ayvazyan Gabriel – the artist’s half-brother.
“Anna Nikitichna Burnazyan-Sarkizova”, 1882
He painted portraits of his first wife Julia Grevs, second wife Anna Burnazyan-Sarkizova, Armenian Catholicos of the Apostolic Church Hayrik Khrimyan. Portraits of the composer Mikhail Glinka, collector and philanthropist Alexei Tomilov, Grand Duke Constantine.
The artist has created many graphic and pictorial self-portraits.
“Portrait of Senator Alexander Ivanovich Kaznacheev, leader of the nobility of the Tauride province”, 1848
He painted Aivazovsky winter forest (forest landscapes of the Russian north), winter ice of the St. Petersburg river (crossing the Neva). Canvases on biblical themes (about the betrayal of Judas, eastern scenes of Asia Minor, the baptism of Armenians by the enlightener Gregory in the XNUMXth century).
“Eastern scene. Coffee shop near the Ortakoy mosque in Constantinople “, 1846
From under the brush of the master, temples of Turkish Istanbul appear (paintings of the mosques of Constantinople). Mills “Don Quixote” (windmills of the Ukrainian steppes at sunset). Egyptian camel caravans (oases of the hot Sahara).
“Windmills in the Ukrainian steppe at sunset”, 1862
“Caravan in the oasis. Egypt ”, 1871
The ethnographic genre scenes of southern Ukraine (wedding miniatures, images of peasants at work and on vacation), the northern Crimean steppe expanses (winter scenes in Little Russia) are beautiful.
“Winter scene in Little Russia”, 1868
Unknown Aivazovsky
For many years of his creative life, the master has traveled half the world. Seven years before his death, he even visited America. And wherever his foot went, he created his immortal canvases.
Aivazovsky, possessing a wonderful ear for music, played the violin superbly, entertaining the sailors of the Baltic Fleet. And then, being on a visit on a warship, he picked up brushes, a palette, a canvas and, melodiously tightening an Italian serenade or a Tatar melody, wrote harsh seascapes.
In November 1869, Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was included in the Russian honorary delegation for the opening of the Suez Canal. Arriving on Egyptian soil, the artist became the first marine painter in the world to paint a “live” oil painting of this grandiose building of a world scale.
Yes, now we know the “non-marine” Aivazovsky. But for some reason, his frigates, sailing ships, seagulls, the seething surface of the sea, ocean sunsets and sunrises come to mind.
Video
This video contains an interesting excursion to the Tretyakov Gallery on the topic “Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky: paintings”. (Don’t forget to set your video to HD).
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