The appearance of the artist to the people: The creativity, personality and malady of Alexander Ivanov (1806–58)

Vladimir Lerner, Eliezer Witztum

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    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.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)49-57
    Number of pages9
    JournalJournal of Medical Biography
    Volume13
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 1 Jan 2005

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Medicine (miscellaneous)
    • History and Philosophy of Science

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