Ivan (Hovhannes) Aivazovsky (17(29). 7.1817, Feodosia-19.4(2.5). 1900, Feodosia) marine artist, classic of Russian and Armenian art. He is the brother of G.K. Aivazovsky. In the baptismal records of the local St. Sargis Armenian Church, Aivazovsky was listed as Hovhannes, the son of Gevorg Aivazian. Aivazovasky signed in Armenian Hovhannes Haivazovsky till 1843, sometimes he signed Hovhannes Aivazovsky or Ovannes Aivazian. Aivazovsky studied in the Armenian parochial church council, then in the Russian gymnasium of Simferopol (1830-33), then in Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg (1833-37). He visited Italy (as well as the island of St. Lazar), Spain, France, Holland, England, Aivazovsky participated in the exhibitions, he was awarded golden medal in Paris ( he received Legion of Honour in 1857). The in 1887, after the return to Russia Aivazovsky was made an academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts (professor from 1847, honorary member from 1887) , then he was appointed the official artist of the Russian Navy. From 1845 he lived in Feodosia, during this period he painted battle scenes. Aivazovsky visited Africa, USA and Russian outskirts, in 1868 he visited Caucasus. Then in 1869 he organized the first Armenian exhibition in Tiflis (“The Castle of Mount Gunib”, “Darial Gorge”, “View of Tiflis”, etc.)
Aivazowsky created over 6000 paintings. In his masterpieces, such as “The Ninth Wave” (1850) “Black Sea” (1881, Tretyakov Gallery), “In the Waves” (1898, Aivazowsky gallery, Feodosia), “Storm on the shores of Nice” (1885, National Gallery of Armenia), Aivazowksy reached to the real and emotional perception of the life, created a unique expressive language of images.
The paintings of Aivazowsky are symbolic and allegoric. Depicting waves, clouds and airspace the painter emphasized the light, which is the interpretation of the light of the creation. In his last paintings (“Ship Maria”, “In the Waves”) the light comes from an invisible source, as a powerful beam , which disperses the darkness and inspires hope.
Aivazovsky created a number of paintings on Armenia, in his paintings he depicted everyday life of Tiflis, Lake Sevan, Ararat. He established and then contributed to the development of landscape painting in fine arts. Aivazovsky created paintings on the important events of Bible and Armenian history (“Descent of Noah from Ararat”, 1887, “The Baptism of the Armenian People”, 1892, “Commander Vardan”, “Catholicos Khrimian in Echmiadzin”, 1892, “Lord Byron's visit to San Lazzaro degli Armeni”, 1898, “The Massacre of Adana”, etc). His last painting “The Expulsion of the Turkish Ship” (1900) expresses pain and fury.
Aivazovsky was the member of the academies of fine arts of St. Petersburg, Rome, Florence, Stuttgart , Amsterdam, as well as member of Russian Geographical society. A quote from Movses Khorenatsi's History of Armenia is engraved on his tombstone "Born as a mortal, left the immortal memory of himself".
Source-«Who is who. The Armenians» encyclopedia, volume 1, chief editor Hovh. Ayvazyan, Yerevan, 2007 (in Armenian).
See also
Ivan (Hovhannes) Aivazovsky (paintings)
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