Akimov Ivan Akimovich

1754 - 1814

historical painter, engraver.

entire life of the artist was associated with the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts: from childhood, her student, then a foreign retiree, academician, professor and, finally, the rector - he went through all the possible steps of an academic career. In nine years, having lost his father, a typesetter Senate printer, the boy himself had filed a motion to take it to the academic training at government expense, and put a few pictures. So in 1764, Ivan Akimov was enrolled in the newly formed "the most illustrious Academy of Arts" - all-powerful institution designed to regulate the entire artistic life of the state.

Akimov learned from GI Kozlov, and AP Losenko - studied successfully. Over the years spent at the Academy, he received a small and large silver medal for drawing, 2-S gold medal - for the policy work "The Grand Duke Izyaslav Mstislavovich, almost cut by the soldiers, did not recognize him in battle, called them" (1772) . The following year, at the time of release, for the painting "The Great Prince Svyatoslav, kissing his mother and his children on his return from the Danube in Kiev, he won a gold medal, which gave the right to travel abroad to Italy.

In Italy, the artist spent 1773-1778. In Bologna, while he was engaged in copying paintings in the City Gallery. Upon arrival in Rome, thanks to the recommendation of the famous art patron I. Shuvalov, Akimov was in the studio of famous painter Pompeo Button, which copied the work of Venetian masters. In Rome, a historical theme has been replaced by the mythological: it was written "Narcissus admired his reflection in the water", "Dido and Aeneas, seeking refuge in a cave from the storm", "Faun, fiddling with the kid" and "Prometheus and Minerva (1775). Over the last work Akimov was elected "designated" to the Academy.

Upon his return to St. Petersburg in January 1779 Akimov appointed lecturer at the full-scale classes, and in August the same year began to paint self-immolation on the pyre of Hercules in the presence of his friend Philoctetes, on receipt of deadly clothing from his ex-lover Deyyaniry stolen centaur Nezusom. Here Akimov demonstrates mastery and skill layout draftsman: beautifully constructed composition according to the volume ratio of clarity recalls the sculptural group, figures well drawn and expressive, although colors still vulnerable point of his paintings. In this picture Akimov in 1782 received the title of academician.

artist attempts to further develop a national topic in historical painting became untenable. Although outwardly the life Akimova evolved quite nicely - after he received the academic rank of professor (1785), and then became rector (1796-1800), taught children's painting of Emperor Paul I, was in charge of Tapestry, his own works to appear less and less . And increasingly, these were not independent of composition, and image for St. Petersburg's cathedrals, in which the performance of that time the audience notes the following in-depth study of Guido Reni and the Carracci brothers.

Akimov taught at the Academy 35 years, and among his pupils were such famous artists as A. Ivanov, VK Shebuyev, A. E . Egorov. No reliable evidence of its educational system and teaching methods has not been preserved.

Thinking about my students Akimov bequeathed all their capital Art Academy, it held that "students from poor artistic children, and the same academy, within the walls of which was the whole life of Ivan Anya Akimov, inherited books in his library and his collection of cards.

Works Akimova stored in the Academy of Fine Arts, TG, RM. The most important paintings - "Prometheus and Minerva" and "Hercules, burned at the stake" - are stored in the Academy; drawings - in the collections of S. Botkin, and gr. EV Mordvinova. Article Akimov "Brief historical news of the Russian artists," appears in The Northern Herald in 1804.