History and Culture: Exhibition "Alexander Ivanov. Bible Sketches. Miracles and Sermons of Christ" opened at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow

On June 18, 2021, the State Tretyakov Gallery in Lavrushinsky Lane (Moscow) launched the exhibition "Alexander Ivanov. Bible Sketches. Miracles and Sermons of Christ".

The exhibition features about 40 graphic works from the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery.

The State Tretyakov Gallery is the exclusive owner of the graphic heritage of Alexander Andreevich Ivanov (1806-1858). It includes more than 700 separate items and about 40 albums. The collection's abundance allows arranging several successive expositions in the form of mini-exhibitions. "Miracles and Sermons of Christ" is a project that continues the display of the graphic cycle "Biblical Sketches" related to the last decade of the artist's life (from the late 1840s to the beginning of 1858).

In "Biblical Sketches" Ivanov expressed artistic and philosophical searches, relevant to the most urgent questions about the artist's mission, the role of art and its influence on the moral and spiritual transformation of the world.

The fancy architectural ensemble "Temple of Art", or "Temple of Philosophy" may be called the romantic utopia. Ivanov's work was not completed. It seems that this incompleteness reveals the grandiosity of the plan, its unique character both in the interpretation of biblical texts and in the style of watercolour compositions.

A video in the hall allows imagining Ivanov's plan after realization - the interior of the building with paintings based on existing watercolours.

The unique graphic series "Biblical Sketches", exhibited near paintings, expands the knowledge of Alexander Ivanov's creative potential and allows comprehending the true value of the artist.

The exhibition will run until November 14, 2021.