The Appearance of Christ Before the People

The Appearance of Christ Before the People (Russian: Явление Христа народу Yavleniye Khrista narodu) or The Apparition of the Messiah is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 540 cm × 750 cm, by the Russian painter Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov (1806–1858).[2]

The Appearance of Christ Before the People
ArtistAlexander Andreyevich Ivanov
Year1837–1857
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions540 cm × 750 cm (210 in × 300 in)
LocationTretyakov Gallery[1], Moscow, Russia

The painting has been called his magnum opus and took twenty years to complete (1837–1857).[3] The narrative of the painting is based on the first chapter of the Gospel according to John.[1]

Artist
Painting displayed in Moscow

Alexander Ivanov was born on 28 July 1806 to a family of artists. He was only eleven years old when he entered as a student in the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied under the guidance of his father, Andrei Ivanovich Ivanov, a professor of painting. Ivanov was awarded two silver medals and in 1824 received a gold medal.[4][5][6][7]

Painting

The painting alludes to several stories in the Bible. In the center of the painting John the Baptist, wearing an animal skin, is standing on the banks of the River Jordan. He points towards the figure of Jesus in the distance, approaching the scene. To the left stands the young John the Apostle, behind him St. Peter, and further on Andrew the Apostle and Nathanael. In the foreground are people who watch the scene unfold but are undecided what to do, both young and old men.[1] In the center there is a wealthy man who was too rich to follow Christ and a slave, about whom Ivanov remarked that he meant to depict people who experienced, after a life in despair and suffering, "joy for the first time". To the right there is a figure, that stands nearest to Jesus, who was depicted as the painter's good friend, the writer Gogol. Before the wanderer with a staff seated not far from John, is a figure seated with a red headgear. The figure is a self-portrait; the artist has captured his own features on the canvas.[8][9]

  • Studies
  • Study of the head of John the Baptist
  • Ivanov head of Christ
  • Head of a man
  • Initial first sketches

References
  1. "The Apparition of Christ to the People (The Apparition of the Messiah). 1837–1857". Tretyakov Gallery.
  2. "Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov". russia-ic.com.
  3. "Aleksandr+Andreevich+Ivanov". encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com.
  4. "The Tretyakov gallery – Image". www.tretyakovgallery.ru.
  5. "The Appearance of Christ before the People – Art and the Bible". www.artbible.info. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  6. "Painting Russian romanticism". www.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  7. "A. A. Ivanov's Picture 'The Appearance of Christ Before People'". elib.sfu-kras.ru. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  8. "Alexander Ivanov. The Appearance of Christ to the People (The phenomenon of the Messiah)". www.tanais.info. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  9. "Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov". Tretyakov Gallery. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2019.

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