Ivan Aivazovsky was born in Feodosia on July 28, 1817, in the family of an Armenian merchant Aivazyan (Gaivazovsky), and was baptized under the name Hovhannes (the Armenian form of the name "John").
The family was not wealthy, and the artist's father had to work hard. The boy clearly grew up talented: he even learned to play the violin on his own. His artistic abilities were also evident. The mayor of Feodosia, Alexander Kaznacheev, who noticed Hovhannes drawing, became his first patron: he gave him paints and paper and also suggested that he study drawing with his children under the city architect Koch. Moreover, when Hovhannes graduated from the district school in his hometown, Kaznacheev, who had been transferred to Simferopol, helped the 13-year-old boy get into the Simferopol gymnasium.
The boy continued to draw from nature and copy engravings, and the city began talking about the young talent. His next patron was Natalia Naryshkina, daughter of Fyodor Rostopchin and wife of the governor of Taurida. With the help of the famous portraitist Salvatore Tonchi, she managed to get Hovhannes into the Imperial Academy of Arts at the state’s expense, despite the fact that he had not yet reached the required age (he was under 14 years old). The president of the Academy, Olenin, made this decision after reading Naryshkina's letter and looking at the drawing of the boy enclosed in it.
In 1833, the future great artist found himself in St. Petersburg and began studying at the Academy—not as Hovhannes Gaivazovsky, but as Ivan Aivazovsky. He was accepted into the landscape class of Maxim Nikiforovich Vorobyov. Soon, at the invitation of Emperor Nicholas I, the French marine painter Philippe Tanneur arrived in the northern capital, and Aivazovsky was assigned to him as a student. The Frenchman loaded the young man with a huge amount of tedious work. However, Aivazovsky still found time to paint his own pictures, and in 1836 he presented them at the Academy exhibition, where Tanneur also exhibited. One of the paintings was awarded a silver medal. In a review of this exhibition, the "Art Newspaper" praised the young painter, while criticizing the Frenchman for mannerism. This caused Tanneur to become furious, and he complained about the insubordinate student who had violated the chain of command to his main client, Emperor Nicholas. Aivazovsky was indeed formally in the wrong—the rules required teachers to select paintings for the exhibition, and he had not asked Tanneur for permission.
The Emperor, without going into details, ordered Aivazovsky's paintings to be removed from the exhibition. The artist fell out of favor, and his future career was in jeopardy. Krylov, Zhukovsky, and the president of the Academy, Olenin, tried in vain to intercede for him. However, they managed to enlist the support of the artist Alexander Sauerweid, who taught the Emperor's children. This patron turned out to be more powerful—in an informal setting, he was able to show Nicholas a painting by Aivazovsky. The Emperor praised the young man, ordered him to be paid for his work, and moreover, sent him with his son Constantine on a summer practical trip across the Baltic, where the two young men became closely acquainted with the sailing fleet, albeit with different aims. Additionally, Aivazovsky was assigned to a new teacher—the same Sauerweid, who specialized in battle painting.
In 1837, Aivazovsky received the Grand Gold Medal of the Academy and won a trip across Crimea and Europe. By the way, the 20-year-old Aivazovsky was released from the educational institution two years earlier, because before going to Europe, Aivazovsky took part in military actions—Admiral Mikhail Lazarev invited him to witness the victories of Russian arms. Together with Nikolai Raevsky, he participated in the landing on the Caucasian coast (where Sochi is now located) and sketched the aftermath of the bloody battle with a notebook in hand.
From 1840 to 1844, the young master traveled across Europe, honing his skills. Initially, he struggled financially: he sent part of his stipend to his mother in Feodosia rather than spending it on himself. At first, he lived and studied in Italy. During these years, he developed his creative method and learned to work from memory.
Paintings created in Venice, Florence, Naples, Amalfi, and Sorrento, exhibited in Rome and Naples, brought him great success. His income began to grow, and he could afford trips to Switzerland, Germany, France, and England. During one journey, his steamship encountered a severe storm, and the vessel was thought to have sunk, with the artist presumed dead. His obituaries were even published in St. Petersburg newspapers.
Aivazovsky returned to Russia with triumph. He received the title of academician and was assigned to the Main Naval Staff as a painter with the right to wear the Naval Ministry uniform by imperial decree.
In the following years, Aivazovsky's career progressed happily. In 1845, as part of the Russian Geographical Society, he traveled to the coasts of Asia Minor and the Greek islands. In the late 1860s, the artist undertook a long journey through the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, visiting Ossetia, Dagestan, Georgia, and Armenia. This period includes a series of stunning mountain landscapes. He also visited Egypt for the opening of the Suez Canal.
As soon as his finances allowed, Aivazovsky settled in his native Feodosia, where he bought a plot and built a house on it, styled like an Italian palazzo. The mansion was always full of guests—many visitors wanted to see the famous artist and his works. Over time, Aivazovsky turned it into a private museum open to the public and added a gallery. Today, this building houses the Feodosia National Art Gallery named after Aivazovsky.
In 1848, he married the governess Yulia Grevs, who bore him four daughters. The marriage ended in divorce: his wife had a complex character, preferred living in St. Petersburg, and disapproved of her husband's love for their Crimean home and his travels. Eventually, she left him and lived separately, causing him significant debts. In 1877, he filed for divorce with the Etchmiadzin Synod. In 1882, the 65-year-old Aivazovsky married again, to the young widow of a Feodosian merchant, Anna Burnazyan (Sarkizova). With his new bride, he embarked on another journey to the Mediterranean countries.
Artist Konstantin Lemoch recounted that Nicholas I once took Aivazovsky with him on a paddle steamer. The Tsar stood on the casing of one paddle wheel, while the artist stood on the other. And Nicholas shouted to him, "Aivazovsky! I am the Tsar of the land, and you are the Tsar of the sea!"
Showered with numerous honors and titles (up to rear admiral), Aivazovsky continued to paint his seascapes, which were immensely popular. He is credited with creating over six thousand works.
He celebrated his 80th birthday by painting a work titled "Ships at Feodosia Roadstead. Aivazovsky's Celebration on His 80th Birthday"—naturally based on a real event, so great was his fame on the Black Sea coast. Unfortunately, the beloved sailing ships were almost gone by then—it was the era of steamships.
Aivazovsky died suddenly in his sleep at the age of 82, leaving behind four daughters and many grandchildren. His last painting, "The Explosion of a Ship," dedicated to the explosion of a Turkish ship by Constantine Kanaris off the island of Chios in 1822, remained unfinished on the easel.
The entire city came out to bid farewell to him. He had left Feodosia with the School of Arts, the new building of the Feodosian Museum of Antiquities built with his money, the railroad, water supply, and seaport inspired by his energy and connections.