The Appearance of the Artist to the People: The Creativity, Personality and Malady of Alexander Ivanov (1806–58)

Alexander Ivanov was an outstanding Russian painter who lived in the middle of the nineteenth century, during the romantic period. He did not accept romanticism but instead tried to create his own original style, an ambitious combination of spiritual profundity and a manner of execution unparalleled...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical biography 2005-02, Vol.13 (1), p.49-57
Main Authors: Lerner, Vladimir, Witztum, Eliezer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Creativity
Famous Persons
History of medicine
History, 19th Century
Humans
Ivanov
Ivanov A
Male
Medicine in the Arts
Paintings - history
Russia
Schizoid Personality Disorder - history
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Summary:Alexander Ivanov was an outstanding Russian painter who lived in the middle of the nineteenth century, during the romantic period. He did not accept romanticism but instead tried to create his own original style, an ambitious combination of spiritual profundity and a manner of execution unparalleled in Western European art. Ivanov's intention and style are best reflected in his major work The Appearance of Christ to the People, a picture on which he worked for over 20 years. He painted more than 400 sketches of the picture while attempting to bring his masterpiece to perfection. At the end of his life Ivanov became disillusioned, renounced his strong religious conviction and became suspicious. This study examines the influence of his background, life story and personality on the creative process. From a diagnostic perspective, Ivanov's personality featured obsessive, narcissistic and schizoid traits. In his final years he suffered from a delusional disorder.
ISSN:0967-7720
1758-1087
DOI:10.1177/096777200501300111