In Moscow, at the Tretyakov gallery on Krymsky Val, the exhibition of Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900) is held. It opened on 29 July 2016, exactly 1 year to the 200 anniversary from the birthday of the artist, and runs until 20 November 2016. A month later, on 24 December 2016, it will be opened in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.
We know sea of Aivazovsky – it was he who approved the seascape genre in Russian art. The sea was his inspiration and specialization, it has become a means of expression of the artist throughout his life. At the same time, Aivazovsky didn’t write the sea “from nature”. “Storm, which I’ve seen at the coast of Italy, in my painting can be carried on any area of the Crimea and the Caucasus,” he said.
«I lived with the sky only»
I. Aivazovsky
The exhibition presents the best of the sea. G. N. Goldovsky, Director of the Russian Museum and a major specialist in the study of creativity Aivazovsky, says that following works are recognized as the best ones – “the Ninth wave”, “Wave” and night landscapes (Odessa, Naples, and Venice).
“Aivazovsky is primarily reliability. This is not literalism, not fixation, bur reliability. The sea is changeable. It is not accuracy only, but many it has kinds of state. Each work of Aivazovsky is sea, in variety of movements it can represent. From absolute calm to the endless waves and storms. It is also the authenticity of the emotions that can provoke a story. For example, on the topic of “the Ninth shaft” you can write a poem or a tale,” says G. N. Goldovskiy.
But this exposition will show not only the sea. We believe that those who visit this exhibition, will get a vivid, comprehensive impression of the works of Aivazovsky and will enrich view of his life and his era as a whole.
Biography Of Aivazovsky
He was a “great Russian artist and son of the Armenian nation”, – has presented the hero of the occasion Arman Tsaturyan, Director of the National gallery of Armenia. Aivazovsky comes from a non-rich Armenian family, who made a brilliant career, and then received the hereditary nobility, became an academician of the Academy of arts in St. Petersburg, honorary member of the Amsterdam, Rome, Florence, Stuttgart, Paris Academy of arts.
Art experts say in one voice: “Aivazovsky is phenomenon” and emphasize that he had the ability to make a lot, in easily and successfully manner. “He didn’t show his work, society was very unpleasant with this”, says prof L. Markina (Tretyakov gallery), – but such was his nature.” “When in 1840 Aivazovsky arrived in Italy, nobody knew him. But in 1844, he left Italy as famous artist: Paris and Rome new him, and the Pope bought his picture… He was applauded, it seemed impossible.” In 1844 Aivazovsky was appointed as Chief artist of the naval staff.
In 1846, already famous and rich, it goes back to Feodosia. “My address is always in Feodosia,” – wrote the artist by P. M. Tretyakov. No capital from abroad could not seduce him, he loved his birthplace and was in a hurry to get back to his sea.
At the exhibition there are interesting portraits by Aivazovsky. First of all, they depict members of his family: parents, wife, brother. The latter was an Archbishop, the Primate of the Georgian-Imeretian diocese, and major scientific figure.
A few days before the death of A. S. Pushkin, Aivazovsky had the good fortune to meet the poet, he was captivated by him and wrote 10 of his portraits.
“Of course, Aivazovsky is phenomenal. You look at his cityscapes is an incredible joy and feeling of delight. Commercially he is successful not only because of the beautiful writing, but also because it evokes feelings. Throughout the world people of different backgrounds, knowledge, social position, sophistication give him credit. He found his subject, loved his art in this thread and never left”, says G. N. Goldovskiy.
During the Crimean war, Aivazovsky and his family moved to Kharkov – and there was the little Russian steppe landscapes without the sea (Chumaky in the Ukraine). The artist visited capitals many times, the exhibition includes landscapes of Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Long life of Aivazovsky was filled with trips abroad. Significant events in the cultural exchange between countries in the XIX century was concentrated in the international exhibitions, and the artist has not bypassed their attention. In November 1869 he presented at the opening of the Suez canal in Egypt and draw pyramids. In 1891, at the International exhibition in Paris, he introduced the “Four resources of Russia” – was a great success and he received the Legion of honor. In 1892-1893 gg with wife Aivazovsky went to the world’s Columbian exhibition in Chicago on the way back across the Atlantic on the ship, wrote “Niagara falls”.
The composition and the exposure device of Aivazovsky exhibition
The Tretyakov gallery staged an extraordinary magnitude treat for fans of the sea and paintings Aivazovsky – the exhibition presents 200 works from 17 museums and 6 private collections. Including, of course, the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg brought “the Ninth wave”, the Tretyakov gallery put the “Rainbow” and “Black sea”. The latter, as we have told D. I. B. L. Markina, Pavel Tretyakov bought and considered a “star in the sky”. Of the 57 works of the National gallery of Armenia 12 presented at the exhibition. From the collection of the Russian Museum, which holds the key 54 works of Aivazovsky, 33 show in Moscow.
The exhibition is very convenient for exploring, thematically well-distributed work, everywhere exhaustive information boards.
The exposition opens with a portrait of a young Ivan Aivazovsky’s brush Tyranova A. V. (Tretyakov gallery). About the history of this portrait told L. Markina. P. M. Tretyakov bought a self-portrait of Aivazovsky, however, he later noticed that under the portrait of a Mature, hung with the insignia of the artist, is a portrait of young, novice boys. Then he washed away the fresh picture and asked the artist Tyranova to restore the old, shaded.
Further, in the first layer, there is wide panorama of the artist. In particular, the painting “the coast of the Caucasus” is shown for the first time after restoration.
And on the second tier we see his life. Says a lot about the bygone era of letters, marine accessories. Models of ships provided by the Central naval Museum in St. Petersburg was collected by the artist himself…
The exhibition is accompanied by a broad educational program (lectures and excursions for children and adults).
Source: Tretyakov Gallery.
