Ivan Aivazovsky
Ivan Aivazovsky was a Russian Romantic artist who lived from 1817 to 1900. He is one of the most famous Russian artists in history. Aivazovsky is mostly known for his large and vivid seascapes and coastal scenes. His talent at depicting light, be it moonlight, sunlight, diffused light, or reflected light, makes his works even more striking.
Aivazovsky was born in Theodosia, Crimea, on the shores of the Black Sea. He was from a poor Armenian family who had recently moved to the area from Poland. Aivazovsky was a talented artist from the very beginning. His first lessons were given by a local architect, Jacob Koch. The local town governor took an interest in Aivazovsky, and brought him to Simferopol with his own family to allow the burgeoning artist to attend the Simferopol Gymnasium №1.
By 1833, Aivazovsky had moved to Saint Petersburg where he attended the Imperial Academy of Arts. He did extremely well, winning medals, meeting other artists, traveling to paint, and working as an art assistant. The Academy sent the young artist to Europe to continue his studies. Aivazovsky was particularly influenced by the Italian artists and the rich heritage of art the Italian museum held. While in Europe, Aivazovsky had his own exhibitions, including at the prestigious Louvre in Paris, France, showcasing his talent to a wider audience. This exposure made him well-known and respected in the art world across Europe.
Aivazovsky returned home to Russia in 1844 at 27 years old where he was appointed to paint seascapes and naval battle scenes for the Russian Navy. These were his favorite scenes to paint. His seascapes were exceptional and continued to get him commission work from both the Russian Navy and new patrons, including the Sultan Abdülmecid I of İstanbul. By 30 years old, Aivazovsky was a Professor of Marine Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg. One of his more famous pupils is Arkhip Kuindzhi. Typically, Aivazovsky only did pencil sketches on site, recalling on his visual memory and his perception of the mood of the scene to make his sketches come to life in the studio.
In 1845, Aivazovsky returned home and continued his work. Aivazovsky was married twice and towards the end of his life, opened an art school and built a museum in his hometown of Theodosia in Crimea. The museum, the Aivazovsky National Art Gallery, is still open today. Aivazovsky didn’t interact too much with the outside art world at this point and continued with his romantic seascape paintings. By the 1860s and 1870s, the art world in Russia was changing, moving from Romanticism to Realism. Unfortunately, this made his art seem outdated at the time, though he was still recognized for his mastery and talent of his work.
Aivazovsky continued to teach students at his art studio in Feodosia. In the early 1890s, he was the first art teacher for the Russian Symbolist, Konstantin Bogaevsky. Aivazovsky died in 1900 at 82 years old.
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