Ivan Aivazovsky The Romantic Armenian Sea Painter

Ivan Ivazovsky, who is considered to be one of the greatest masters in marine art. He loved the sea, so in his 60-year career he created an astonishing 6,000 beautiful paintings. Ivan was born in 1817 in Theodosia, a black seaport that although small has seen centuries of international trade. A 14th century Arab traveller who put 200 ships in the harbour. Ivan was the youngest of three sons and grew up in the family's small, one-storey, white, whitewashed house on a hill, above the port where he had panoramic views of the sea. Young Ivan began drawing ships with charcoal on the whitewashed walls of the town. The talent attracted the attention of his father's friend, an architect. He gave the boy lessons in perspective and showed the results and drawings to the town's governor. The governor recognised the young boy's talent and gave him watercolours and paper, a rare commodity at that time. A few years later, one particular lady took a liking to young Ivan's work and helped him secure a six-year scholarship to the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. In 1836-18, he had seven paintings in the Academy's exhibition and won a gold medal. Ivan travelled extensively. He spent time in Berlin, Vienna, Venice, Florence, Naples, Holland, England, six months in Paris and two years in Rome. In 1842, he became friends with J. W. Turner, who was living in Rome at the time. In 1844, Ivan turned 27 and had conquered Europe. The Pope even commissioned a painting from him. Ivan refused payment and the Pope presented him with a gold cross. In 1845, travelling to Constantinople, he was celebrated and received numerous commissions. However, the association with Constantinople, Istanbul, would later prove very difficult as his father was Armenian. The Turks' later waves of Armenian genocide killed over a million people. Ivan settled in his hometown of Theodosia, where he built an impressive house and studio and enjoyed some celebrity, holding a major exhibition of his work there in 1846. His 1872 exhibition in Nice drew enormous crowds and he opened his first provincial gallery in Russia, who received further honours. He travelled to North America, where he had 20 paintings in the World Exhibition in Chicago. Ivan died in 1900, aged 82.