12 Works, July 16th. is Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov's day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #193

Alexander Andreevich Ivanov

John the Evangelist (half-figure), 1840

Oil on paper

 The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

John the Evangelist is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, though this has been disputed by modern scholars.

John the Evangelist was one of the "pillars" of the Jerusalem church after Jesus' death. He was one of the original twelve apostles and is thought to be the only one to have lived into old age and not be killed for his faith. John is associated with the city of Ephesus, where he is said to have lived and been buried. Some believe that he was exiled (around 95 AD) to the Aegean island of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. More on John the Evangelist

Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov (July 16, 1806 – July 15 1858) was a Russian painter who adhered to the waning tradition of Neoclassicism but found little sympathy with his contemporaries. He was born and died in St. Petersburg. He has been called the master of one work, for it took 20 years to complete his magnum opus The Appearance of Christ Before the People (See below).

Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov  (1806–1858)

The Apparition of Christ to the People, c. from 1837 until 1857

Oil on canvas

Height: 540 cm (17.7 ft); Width: 750 cm (24.6 ft)

Tretyakov Gallery 

The plot is taken from the first chapter of the Gospel of John (1: 29–31). Ivanov called this plot "universal", he strove to show all of humanity at a decisive moment that determines its fate. In the center of the picture is the figure of John the Baptist, baptizing the people in the Jordan River and pointing to the approaching Jesus. To the left of John is a group of apostles - the young John the Theologian, followed by Peter, then Andrew the First-Called, and behind him - Nathanael, the so-called "doubter". In the foreground are youths and elders - an image of an incessant life. In the center is a rich man who recoiled from Christ and a slave about whom Ivanov said: "Through habitual suffering, for the first time, joy appeared." On the right - the figure of the "closest to Christ", in which the appearance of the writer Nikolai Gogol is recognized. In the guise of a wanderer with a staff. More on this painting

Ivanov Alexander Andreevich (1806 - 1858)

Women serve Christ, c. 1850

Brown paper, watercolor, white brush

26,5 x 39 cm

The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

Jesus' interactions with women are an important element in the theological debate about Christianity and women. Women are prominent in the story of Christ Jesus. He was born of a woman, had numerous interactions with women, and was seen first by women after his resurrection. He commissioned the women to go and tell his disciples that he is risen, which is the essential message of Christianity. More on Women serve Christ

Andreyevich was born to an art professor Andrey Ivanov. Aged 11, he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts and studied at his father's course together with Karl Briullov. For his good achievements he was awarded with two silver medals, in 1824 he received a golden medal for the painting 'Priam Asking Achilles to Return Hector's Body' (See below). In 1827 he was honoured with the Big Gold Medal of the Imperial Academy of Arts for 'Joseph interprets the butler's and the baker's dreams' (See below) and was promoted to the XIV grade artists.

Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov  (1806–1858)

Priam asks Achilles to return Hector's body, c. 1824

Oil on canvas

Height: 102.5 cm (40.3 in); Width: 125.3 cm (49.3 in)

Tretyakov Gallery 

The painting was painted during Ivanov's studies at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. The plot is borrowed from Homer's Iliad (Canto 24). The king of Troy defeated by the Greeks, old Priam, with the help of the god Hermes, penetrates the camp of the Greeks and offers their leader Achilles a ransom for the body of his son Hector, who died in a duel with Achilles. In the depths, Achilles' associates are depicted, in the foreground is a caduceus, the rod of Hermes, a sign of his invisible presence. Ivanov created the picture in strict accordance with the academic requirements and rules of classicism, but chose the most emotional moment. He seeks to fill a well-known antique plot with a lively feeling. This decision of the artist is consistent with the romantic trends of the time. More on this painting

Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov  (1806–1858)

Joseph interprets the butler's and the baker's dreams, c. 1827

Oil on canvas

178,5 × 213 cm

Russian Museum

While imprisoned, Joseph, shown here standing in the center, interpreted the dreams of the Pharaoh's butler and baker, also thrown into jail for offending their master. Ivanov conveyed the moment when the baker discovers that Pharaoh will have him hanged in three days. The butler, who learns that he will be restored to his position, leans forward, hands clasped, listening intently. Joseph's predictions for these two came true, and his interpretation of Pharaoh's dream saved all of Egypt two years later. More on Joseph interpretation

Ivanov Alexander Andreevich (1806 - 1858)

Joseph's Brothers Find the Silver Goblet in Benjamin's Pack, c. 1831-1833

Oil on canvas, 

25.5 x 42 cm

The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

The silver cup belonging to Joseph was put in one of the packs of food as the brothers left for Canaan, which was where they lived with their father and their respective mothers.

Joseph had commanded his palace manager, “Fill the men’s sacks to full capacity with food and replace each man’s money at the top of the sack. Then place my cup—the silver one—in the top of the sack belonging to the youngest one, along with the money he brought to buy grain.” So the manager did precisely what Joseph told him to do.

Early the next morning, the men were sent on their way. They had not traveled far from the city when Joseph ordered his palace manager, “Follow those men, and when you’ve caught up with them, ask them, ‘Why did you repay evil for good? Don’t you have the cup that my master uses to drink from and also uses to practice divination? You’re wrong to have done this.’” So he went after them and made that accusation.

The palace manager searched for the cup, ending with the youngest brother’s sack, and there it was! At this, they all tore their clothes reloaded their donkeys, and returned to the city... More on Joseph's Brothers Find the Silver Goblet in Benjamin's Pack

Ivanov's benefactors decided to send him abroad to study art, but required one more picture, thus he creates 'Bellerophon sent to a campaign against the Chimera' (See below). In 1830 Ivanov departs to Europe, first in Germany, then to Italy.

Ivanov Alexander Andreevich (1806 - 1858)

Bellerophon sent to a campaign against the Chimera, c. 1829

Oil on canvas

130.5 x 113 cm

The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Bellerophon was a hero of Greek mythology. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside of Kadmos and Perseus, before the days of Heracles", whose greatest feat was killing the Chimera, a monster that Homer depicted with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail: "her breath came out in terrible blasts of burning flame". More on Bellerophon

Ivanov's first works in Rome were copies of The Creation of Adam of the Sistine Chapel and some drafts of Biblical scenes. He dreamt to create an epic painting of the Messiah coming to people, but first he decided to try himself on lesser scale picture. In 1834-1835 he finished 'Appearance of Jesus Christ to Maria Magdalena' (See below). The painting had great success both in Rome and St Petersburg. The Russian Imperial Academy of Arts granted Ivanov an honorary academic degree in 1836.

Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov (1806 - 1858) 

Appearance of Jesus Christ to Maria Magdalena, c. 1835

Oil on canvas

Height: 2,420 mm (95.27 in); Width: 3,210 mm (10.53 ft)

Russian Museum

According to John 20:11–18, Mary, now alone in the garden outside the tomb, saw two angels sitting where Jesus's body had been. Then the risen Jesus approached her. She at first mistook him for the gardener, but, after she heard him say her name, she recognized him and cried out teacher. His next words may be translated as "Don't touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father". Jesus then sent her to tell the other apostles the good news of his resurrection. The Gospel of John therefore portrays Mary Magdalene as the first apostle, the apostle sent to the apostles. More on the Appearance of Jesus Christ to Maria Magdalena

The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection There are many preparatory studies for this well-known work, a product of Ivanov's early years in Italy. The artist conceived the painting as a test of his abilities to ute an even more ambitious multi-figure composition (see "The Appearance of Christ" in this ImageBase). The depiction of complex emotion in the kneeling figure of the Magdalene particularly captured the attention of connoisseurs. Ivanov was obsessed with the artist's power to express nuances of emotion. While twentieth-century artists and critics perhaps place less emphasis on the expression of emotion, any evaluation of Ivanov's oeuvre must take that aspect of his work into account. The artist's peers were so impressed by "The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection" that they awarded him the title of Academician. More on this painting

Ivanov Alexander Andreevich (1806 - 1858)

Bathsheba, c. 1843

Brown paper, watercolor, white brush

The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

According to the Hebrew Bible, "Bat Sheva," , "daughter of the oath"; was the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of David, king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah. She is most known for the Bible story in which she was summoned by King David who had seen her bathing and lusted after her. 

Bathsheba was from David's own tribe and the granddaughter of one of David's closest advisors. She was the mother of Solomon, who succeeded David as king, making her the Queen Mother. More on Bat Sheva

Ivanov Alexander Andreevich (1806 - 1858)

Sketch; Bathsheba, c. 1843

I have no further description, at this time

He spent most of his life in Rome where he befriended Gogol and was influenced by the Nazarenes.

Andrey Ivanovich Ivanov  (1775–1848)

The Heroism of a Young Kievian at the Siege of Kiev c. 1810

Oil on canvas

Russian Museum

The Siege of Kiev by the Pechenegs, a semi-nomadic Turkic ethnic people from Central Asia, in 968 is documented in the Primary Chronicle, an account that freely mixes historical details with folklore.

According to the chronicle, while Sviatoslav I was pursuing his campaign against the First Bulgarian Empire, the Pechenegs invaded Rus and besieged his capital of Kiev. While the besieged suffered from hunger and thirst, Svyatoslav's general Pretich deployed his his personal guard on the opposite bank of the Dnieper, not daring to cross the river against the larger Pecheneg force.

Svyatoslav's mother Olga of Kiev, who was in Kiev together with all of Svyatoslav's sons, contemplated surrender if Pretich did not relieve the siege within one day. She was anxious to send word about her plans to Pretich. At last a boy fluent in the Pecheneg language volunteered to venture from the city and urge Pretich to action... More on The Siege of Kiev

Alexandre Ivanov (Russian, 20th/21st Century)

Classical beauties

Oil on canvas

23½ x 35 in. (59.7 x 88.9 cm.)

Pivate collection

Price realized was GBP 840 in Aug 2007

Ivanov died of cholera on July 3, 1858. He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Novodevichy Cemetery. In 1936, he was reburied with the transfer of the monument to the Tikhvin Cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. More on Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov

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