"The True Fatherland of Artists": Rome and Italy in Alexander Ivanov's System of Views

Abstract

The article studies the views of Alexander A. Ivanov, a prominent Russian artist, concerning the way the scholarship in Rome, being awarded at the end of an academic course, generally contributed to the shaping a graduate from the Petersburg Academy of Arts. The study of a wide range of historical sources, including unpublished ones, allows for outlining Ivanov's views on the advantages and disadvantages of staying in Italy, which he describes as "the true fatherland of artists". His idealised image of the country was largely shaped by comparing and contrasting it to the daily reality of Rome, which, in his view, at every turn concealed temptations for an inexperienced artist. The thorough analysis of the material provides a deeper understanding of Alexander Ivanov's system of aesthetic views in general, as well as adds invaluable insights into his life and artistic biography

References

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