Mikhail Matveevich Ivanov (Russian: Михаил Матвеевич Иванов ; 1748,

Veliky Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ol ...

- 16 August 1823,

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

) was a Russian painter,

watercolorist Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

, and Academician.

Biography

His father was a soldier in the

Semyonovsky Regiment The Semyonovsky Lifeguard Regiment (, ) was one of the two oldest guard regiments of the Imperial Russian Army. The other one was the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 2013, it was recreated for the Russian Armed Forces as a rifle regiment, its na ...

. In 1762, he and his brother, were admitted to the

Imperial Academy of Arts The Russian Academy of Arts, informally known as the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, was an art academy in Saint Petersburg, founded in 1757 by the founder of the Imperial Moscow University Ivan Shuvalov under the name ''Academy of the Thre ...

. He initially took practical courses on painting with

varnish Varnish is a clear transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not a stain. It usually has a yellowish shade from the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmented as desired, and is sold commercially in various ...

es then, in 1764, became a student of , who instructed him in painting birds, animals and flowers. He was awarded a silver medal in 1769, followed by a gold medal in 1770, for his landscape with

staffage In painting, staffage () are the human and animal figures depicted in a scene, especially a landscape, that are not the primary subject matter of the work. Typically they are small, and there to add an indication of scale and add interest. Before ...

, depicting an olive tree with military paraphernalia, soldiers and shepherds. This also earned him a study trip to Western Europe. In Paris he studied with

Jean-Baptiste Le Prince Jean-Baptiste Le Prince (September 17, 1734 – September 30, 1781) was an important French etcher and painter. Le Prince first studied painting techniques in his native Metz. He then travelled to Paris around 1750 and became a leading student ...

, with whom he copied landscapes by the

Old Masters In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...

. He was especially drawn to Dutch and Flemish artists. In 1773, he and Arkhip went to Rome, where he painted landscapes en

plein aire ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

and copied more of the Old Masters, many of which he sent back to the Academy. By the time he returned to Russia, in 1779, he had travelled through Spain and Switzerland. Upon his return, the Academy recognized him as a candidate for the title of "Academician". In 1780, he was assigned to accompany Prince

Grigory Potemkin Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...

and, per the Prince's instructions, paint all places and events that were in any way "remarkable".N. P. Sobko, ''Словарь русских художников с древнейших времен до наших дней'' (Dictionary of Russian artists from ancient times to the present day), 1895, pg.381 He made numerous drawings and watercolors throughout

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

and the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

, as well as battle scenes, depicting the

Siege of Ochakov (1788) The second siege of Ochakov (now Ochakiv, Ukraine) was one of the major events of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). It was known as "Özi Kuşatması" in Turkish. In 1788, Russian forces led by Prince Grigory Potemkin and General Alexande ...

and the

Siege of Izmail The siege of Izmail was a military investment fought in 1790 on the Black Sea during the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). The Russians were led by Alexander Suvorov, who had defeated the Ottomans at Kinburn, Ochakov, and Focsani. The Black S ...

(1790). It was during this time, in 1785, that he was finally named an Academician. His last work on this assignment was a depiction of Potemkin's death in

Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...

(1791), which was engraved by

Gavriil Skorodumov Gavriil Ivanovich Skorodumov (russian: Гавриил Иванович Скородумов; 12 March 1755 – 12 July 1792) was a Russian engraver, draftsman, and painter, best known for his stipple prints. Closely associated with the Florentine ...

and widely distributed. After that, he returned to St. Petersburg and served as curator at the

Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the list of ...

. In 1792, he married Skorodumov's widow, Maria Ivanovna. From 1800, he taught classes in

battle painting Military art is art with a military subject matter, regardless of its style or medium. The battle scene is one of the oldest types of art in developed civilizations, as rulers have always been keen to celebrate their victories and intimidate po ...

at the Academy. From 1804, he also taught landscape painting.

References

External links

@ Artsait
"Travel albums of Mikhail Matveyevich Ivanov in the collection of the Russian Museum"
by Olga Kaparulina @ Nasledie {{DEFAULTSORT:Ivanov, Mikhail Matveevich 1748 births 1823 deaths Russian painters Russian landscape painters Military art Imperial Academy of Arts alumni People from Veliky Novgorod

Biography

References

Further reading

External links