Aivazovsky and the biography of the artist. Ivan Aivazovsky - paintings, full biography Who is Ivan Aivazovsky

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky is a famous Russian marine painter of his time. He painted 6 thousand paintings depicting “ big water" The artist was delirious about the sea. The elements were something sacred and magical for Aivazovsky. Today I will briefly talk about the biography and work of the painter.

Biography of the artist

The biography of Ivan Aivazovsky is connected with the sea. The famous marine painter was born on July 29, 1817 in the port town of the Crimean Peninsula (Feodosia). The artist's family had an average income. The boy's family supported all his endeavors, since the child had a thirst for knowledge and an accurate memory.

One day, the city's chief architect noticed a talented boy drawing the sea. The official, inspired after viewing Ivan’s paintings, gave him a set of canvases and brushes, noting the young man’s extraordinary talent. The architect contributed to Aivazovsky receiving the necessary artistic education.

From 13 years old future artist studied at the Simferopol gymnasium, 16 - at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In 1837, the painter became the owner of a gold medal for his success applied arts allowing you to travel abroad. The artist conquers Abkhazia, Italy, France, Holland. He makes new acquaintances, often ending in close friendships, and is actively involved in painting.

In 1844 (after returning) the artist was awarded the title of academician. Works of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky develops fruitfully over the next few decades. The painter is working on creating new paintings, destined to have worldwide fame. At the same time, Ivan Konstantinovich is involved in charity work and makes a huge contribution to the development of the infrastructure of his native city.

Ivan Konstantinovich created his family in 1848. Aivazovsky married the daughter of the emperor’s court physician, Julia Grevs. U married couple 4 children were born. However, the happiness turned out to be short-lived, since Julia suffered a serious nervous illness that had a detrimental effect on a woman’s behavior.

The couple divorced (the wife loved the pomp of the capital and did not want to devote her life to Feodosia). Until the end of his days, Aivazovsky tried to maintain friendly relations with his daughters. It was very difficult to maintain a friendly position due to constant interference ex-wife preventing the establishment of normal relationships.

Ivan Konstantinovich married for the second time at the age of 65 (1881). The artist’s chosen one is young Anna Sarkizova (just turned 25 years old). The woman was faithful to the painter, and accordingly, she supported Aivazovsky until the end of her days. In her honor, he painted the painting “Portrait of the Artist’s Wife.”

Creation

At the age of 20, the artist becomes the youngest graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy (according to the rules, you need to study for another 3 years). Next comes a period of travel. The painter goes to his native Crimea for 2 seasons, and then to Europe for 6 seasons. Traveling helped the artist find an individual style for creating canvases and improve his visual skills.

The works of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky had big success. The Pope wished to purchase the painting “Chaos”. The artist did not want to sell the canvas, but presented the painting to the pontiff as a personal gift.

Thanks to his talent and friendly character, of course, Aivazovsky had friendly connections with many influential people. The artist was friends with Pushkin, Bryullov, Glinka, and communicated warmly with the imperial family. Fame, wealth, and worldwide recognition have not changed the painter. The first place for Ivan Konstantinovich was still occupied by calling.

Paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky are highly valued (the most expensive is $3.5 million). The original paintings are in many museums around the world. Some paintings are kept in galleries in his hometown, founded by the artist himself.

Famous paintings

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky “The Ninth Wave” is mine favorite piece. The canvas depicts an angry sea raging amid a dark storm of night. The painting was painted in 1850. Today's original painting is in the State Russian Museum.

The canvas “Rainbow” depicts the tragic events of a shipwreck. The scene of the death of a ship crashing on the rocks is presented to the eye. Exhausted by the elements, the sailors are trying to escape with the help of a boat. A ghostly rainbow lights up the sky, symbolizing salvation.

“Evening in Crimea. Yalta" Aivazovsky created in 1848. The sunset gives a unique color scheme, illuminating the mountains and people around with the last rays of the sun.

“Sunset” is a painting painted by the artist in 1866. It depicts a ship among the calm waters of the evening sun. The sky is illuminated by carefree clouds, a family is located on the shore. Idyll.

The painting “Black Sea” (“A storm begins to break out on the Black Sea”) was created in 1881. The canvas shows the power sea ​​waves engulfed in a storm. Water is depicted as attractive and enchanting. The painting is painted using preferably dark tones.

The painting “Wave” depicts the power of a sea storm, the mercilessness of the waves. Among the raging waters, the sinking ship seems small and helpless.

"Storm" shows majesty sea ​​elements in moments of an all-consuming storm. Despite the shipwreck and unsuccessful efforts to save the crew, the sea remains beautiful.

“Night on the Island of Rhodes” presents a charming seascape with an evening sunset. There are no storms familiar to Aivazov, high waves. The picture breathes calmness and peace.

« Chesme fight"is dedicated to the victory of the Russian people in the battle of the same name on June 24-26, 1770. The canvas depicts the confrontation between the navy native people with enemy Turkey.

“Morning at the Sea” is a calming picture, which shows the regularity of people’s lives by the sea. Refers to late period creativity of Aivazovsky.

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky is not just an artist. This is an entire era, immortalized in hundreds of famous paintings.

Even as a child, Ivan Aivazovsky showed extraordinary artistic and musical abilities- for example, he mastered playing the violin without outside help. Yakov Christianovich Koch, an architect from Feodosia, was the first to notice artistic talents young Ivan, and taught him elementary 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 become an admirer of the young man’s talent. Following this, he was enrolled in the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (education in which was carried out at the expense of the state), thanks to the recommendation German painter Johann Ludwig Gross - the first drawing teacher of the 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, and the artist was appointed assistant to the fashionable French landscape painter Philippe Tanner. The latter forbade Aivazovsky to paint on his own, but the young artist continued to paint landscapes, and in the fall of 1836, five of his paintings were presented at an exhibition at the Academy of Arts, all of which received favorable reviews from critics.

But Philip Tanner filed a complaint against Aivazovsky to the Tsar, and on the instructions 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 several months of studying with Sauerweid, Aivazovsky experienced unprecedented success - in the fall of 1837 he was awarded the Great Gold Medal for the painting “Calm”, thereby earning the right to travel to the Crimea and Europe.

The period of creativity from 1838 to 1844.

During this period of time, Aivazovsky became a member of the artist’s circle. Karla Bryullova and composer Mikhail Glinka. In the summer of 1840, the artist and his Academy friend Vasily Sternberg went to Italy. The final destination of their journey was Rome; along the way they stopped in Florence and Venice. In Venice, Aivazovsky made acquaintance with N.V. Gogol, and also visited the island of St. Lazarus, where he met his brother Gabriel. Based in southern Italy, in Sorrento, he worked in his unique manner - he spent outdoors only for a short time, and in the workshop he recreated the landscape, improvising and giving free rein to his imagination. The painting “Chaos” was purchased by Pope Gregory XVI, who gave it to the artist as a reward for this work. gold medal. "Italian" period of creativity the artist is considered very successful both from a commercial point of view and from a critical point of view - for example, the works of Ivan Konstantinovich have earned high praise 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. There were some incidents - in the Bay of Biscay the ship on which Ivan Konstantinovich was sailing was caught in a storm and almost sank, and information about the death of the artist appeared in the Parisian press. In the fall of 1844, Aivazovsky returned to his homeland after a four-year journey.

Further career, period from 1844 to 1895.

The basis of creativity Aivazovsky was a maritime theme, he created a series of portraits of cities on 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 at sea. Although among Aivazovsky’s paintings 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 eastern Crimea.

His career can be called brilliant - he had the rank of rear admiral and was awarded many orders. The total number of works by Aivazovsky exceeds 6,000.

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

He was not only an outstanding artist, but also a philanthropist - with the money he earned he founded an art school and an art gallery. Aivazovsky put a lot of effort into the improvement of 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 involved in the protection of Crimean monuments, and 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 career and last days of the painter

Before last day Aivazovsky wrote - one of his latest paintings called “Sea Bay”, and the painting “The Explosion of a Turkish Ship” remained unfinished due to sudden death 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 sarcophagus made of white marble Italian sculptor L. Biojoli.

In 1930, a monument to Aivazovsky was erected in Feodosia in front of the art gallery of the same name. The painter is represented sitting on a pedestal and peering into the sea, in his hands - 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 between 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 - Anna Nikitichna Sarkisova, a young merchant widow, became his wife. Despite the fact that the husband was almost 40 years old older than Anna Sarkisova, Aivazovsky’s second marriage was successful.

An interesting fact is that many of the great painter’s grandchildren followed in his footsteps and became artists.

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.

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 artistic ability boy, Koch supplied young artist pencils, paints and paper, gave the first drawing lessons. The second patron of Ivan was the mayor of Feodosia, Alexander Kaznacheev. The governor appreciated Vanya’s skillful playing 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 socialite placed at his disposal her library, a collection of engravings, books on painting and art. 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.

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 was supported by the best minds of the capital, 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 along with his son Konstantin to Baltic Fleet. The Tsarevich studied the basics of maritime affairs and fleet management, and Aivazovsky specialized in the artistic side of the issue (it is difficult to write battle scenes and ships without knowing their structure).

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.

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 painted many works, including peaceful seascapes and battle scenes.

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.

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.

Aivazovsky had the happy fate of making acquaintances and even friendships with many outstanding people of 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.

Having become rich and famous, Aivazovsky did a lot for his native Feodosia: he founded an art school and an art gallery, a museum of antiquities, sponsored the construction of a railway, and a 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 from a nervous illness. 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 at an advanced 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".

Among the famous marine painters of all times and peoples, it is difficult to find someone who could more accurately convey the majestic power and attractive charm of the sea than Aivazovsky. This greatest painter The 19th century left us a unique legacy of paintings that can instill a love for Crimea and a passion for travel in anyone who has never even been to the shores of the sea. In many ways, the secret lies in Aivazovsky’s biography; he was born and raised in an environment inseparably connected with the sea.

Youth in the biography of Aivazovsky

Describing the biography of Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, we must first note that he was born in Feodosia, on July 17, 1817, into a merchant family of Armenian origin.

Father - Gevork (in Russian version Konstantin) Ayvazyan; I.K. Aivazovsky. Father's portrait	Mother: Hripsime Ayvazyan. I.K. Aivazovsky. Portrait of a mother	Aivazovsky portrayed himself as a boy painting his hometown. 1825

At birth the boy was named Hovhannes (this is an Armenian word form male name John), and the modified surname for the future famous artist inherited thanks to his father, who, having moved in his youth from Galicia to Moldova, and then to Feodosia, wrote it down in the Polish style of “Gayvazovsky”.

The house in which Aivazovsky spent his childhood stood on the outskirts of the city, on a small hill, from where there was an excellent view of the Black Sea, the Crimean steppes and the ancient mounds located on them. WITH early years the boy was lucky enough to see the sea in its different characters (kind and menacing), to observe fishing feluccas and large ships. The environment awakened his imagination, and very soon the boy discovered his artistic abilities. Local architect Koch gave him his first pencils, paints, paper and his first few lessons. This meeting became a turning point in the biography of Ivan Aivazovsky.

The beginning of the biography of Aivazovsky as a legendary artist

Since 1830, Aivazovsky studied at the Simferopol gymnasium, and at the end of August 1833 he went to St. Petersburg, where he entered the most prestigious school at that time Imperial Academy arts, and until 1839 he successfully studied landscape design in the class of Maxim Vorobyov.

The very first exhibition in the biography of Aivazovsky, the artist, which brought fame to the young talent at that time, took place in 1835. Two works were presented there, and one, “Study of Air over the Sea,” was awarded a silver medal.

Then the painter devoted himself more and more to new works, and already in 1837. famous painting“Calm” brought Aivazovsky a big gold medal. In the coming years, his biography and paintings will be displayed at the Academy of Arts.

Aivazovsky: biography at the dawn of creativity

Since 1840 young artist sent to Italy, this is one of the special periods in the biography and work of Aivazovsky: he has been improving his skills for several years, studying world art, actively exhibits his works at local and European exhibitions. After receiving a gold medal from the Paris Council of Academies, he returned to his homeland, where he received the title of “academician” and was sent to the Main Naval Headquarters with the task of painting several paintings with different Baltic views. Participation in battle operations helped the already famous artist, write one of the most famous masterpieces- " " in 1848

Two years later, the painting “” appeared - the most striking event that cannot be missed, even when describing the most short biography Aivazovsky.

The fifties and seventies of the nineteenth century became the brightest and most fruitful in the painter’s career; Wikipedia describes this period of Aivazovsky’s biography quite extensively. In addition, during his life, Ivan Konstantinovich managed to become known as a philanthropist involved in charity work, and made a huge contribution to the development of his native city.

At the first opportunity, he returned to Feodosia, where he built a mansion in the style of an Italian palazzo and exhibited his canvases to the audience.

Aivazovsky Feodosia

Ivan Konstantinovich at his dawn creative life neglected the opportunity to be close to the king's court. At the Paris World Exhibition his works were awarded a gold medal, and in Holland he was awarded the title of academician. This did not go unnoticed in Russia - twenty-year-old Aivazovsky was appointed artist of the Main Naval Staff, and he received a government order to paint panoramas of Baltic fortresses.

Aivazovsky fulfilled the flattering order, but after that he said goodbye to St. Petersburg and returned to Feodosia. All the officials and the capital's painters decided that he was an eccentric. But Ivan Konstantinovich was not going to exchange his freedom for a uniform and the carousel of St. Petersburg balls. He needed the sea, a sunny beach, streets, he needed sea air for creativity.

One of the city's attractions is the Aivazovsky fountain in Feodosia in the Kirovsky district, to which a water supply has been installed. The fountain was built with the artist’s money and according to his design, and then donated to the residents.

Unable to continue to remain a witness to the terrible disaster that the population of my native city experiences from lack of water year after year, I give him 50,000 buckets a day as his eternal ownership clean water from the Subash source that belongs to me.

The artist loved Theodosia fiercely. And the townspeople answered him good feelings: they called Ivan Konstantinovich “father of the city.” They say that the painter loved to give drawings: paintings by Aivazovsky in Feodosia, many residents unexpectedly ended up in their homes as precious gifts.

Water from the artist’s estate came to Feodosia, traveling a 26-kilometer route through a pipeline built by the city.

He opened in hometown art gallery, library, drawing school. And he also became godfather half of the babies of Feodosia, and allocated a particle from his substantial income to each.

In the life of Ivan Konstantinovich there were many contradictions that did not complicate his life, but made it original. He was Turkish by origin, Armenian by upbringing, and became a Russian artist. He communicated with Berillov and his brethren, but he himself never went to their parties and did not understand the bohemian lifestyle. He loved to give his works as gifts, and in everyday life was known as a pragmatic person.

Museum of Antiquities, built by Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

Aivazovsky Museum in Feodosia

The Aivazovsky Gallery in Feodosia is one of ancient museums in the country. Located in the house in which the outstanding marine painter lived and worked. The building was designed personally by Ivan Konstantinovich and built in 1845. Thirty-five years later, Aivazovsky created Big hall, attached to it. This room is intended to display his paintings before the paintings were sent to exhibitions in other cities and abroad. 1880 is considered the year of the official foundation of the museum. Feodosia Aivazovsky Gallery address: st. Golereynaya, 2.

During the war, the building was destroyed by a ship's shell.

At the time of the artist, the place was famous far abroad and was unique cultural center in the city. After the painter's death, the gallery continued to operate. By the will of the artist, it became the property of the city, but local authorities cared little about it. The year 1921 can rightfully be considered the second birth of the gallery.

In the 19th century, Aivazovsky's art gallery in Feodosia stood out among others architectural structures terrain. The museum stands on the very seashore and resembles an Italian villa. This impression is even stronger when you notice the dark red paint on the walls, the sculptures of ancient gods in the bays, and the gray marble pilasters that run around the façade. Such features of the building are unusual for Crimea.

Aivazovsky's house, which became an art gallery after his death

When designing a house, the artist thought out the purpose of each room. This is why the reception rooms are not adjacent to the residential section of the house, while the artist's room and studio were connected to exhibition hall. High ceilings, parquet floors on the second floor and the bays of Feodosia visible from the windows create an atmosphere of romanticism.

It is my sincere desire that the building of my art gallery in the city of Feodosia, with all the paintings, statues and other works of art in this gallery, constitute full ownership city ​​of Feodosia, and in memory of me, Aivazovsky, I bequeath the gallery to the city of Feodosia, my hometown.

The center of Feodosia's art gallery are 49 canvases left by the painter to the city. In 1922, when the museum opened its doors to Soviet people, there were only these 49 canvases in the collection. In 1923, the gallery received 523 paintings from the collection of the artist's grandson. Later the works of L. Lagorio and A. Fessler arrived.

The legendary painter died on April 19 (old style) 1900. He was buried in Feodosia, in the courtyard of a medieval Armenian Church Surb Sarkis (Saint Sarkis).