Martos, Ivan Petrovich

1754 (borough Ichnya Chernigov province) - April 5, 1835 (St. Petersburg)

sculptor, graphic artist.

place of the noble family, the son of hundred Cossacks. In 1764 joined the IAH in St. Petersburg. He studied first in the picturesque and engraving classes, and then in the class of "ornamental" sculpture by L. Rolland and "sculptural-statuynom" class at the NF Gillet. In 1772 created a program of "Cyril, a Greek philosopher, and the Grand Duke Vladimir", "Izyaslav Mstislavovich on the battlefield", awarded a small gold coin. In 1773 the Academy issued a certificate of degree 1 for the title of class artist and the right of a pensioner's travel abroad.

In the same year went to continue his art education in Rome. Attended full-scale classes of the French Academy of Fine Arts and Academy of St. Luke, which mastered the technique of cutting marble in the studio of Prof. K. Albachini. Under his supervision performed marble copies of antique sculptures. The advice J.-M. Vienne, and P. Button. In 1778 for the alabaster statue of "Endymion asleep" recognized "designated" in academics IAH. At the end of that year he returned to Russia.

Since 1779 until his death he taught sculpture at the Academy class, his students were almost all masters of the first half of the XIX century. In 1782 awarded the title of academician. In 1785 approved an Associate Professor. In 1788 elected a member of the IAH. In 1794 "for their diligence and skill in sculpture of Arts" was awarded the title of professor. In 1799, promoted to associate rector. Since 1814 - rector, from 1831 - Honored Rector IAH.

worked primarily in the field of monumental art, the memorial sculpture. They were created tombstones SS Volkonskaya, MP Sobakina (both - 1782), P. Bruce (1786-1790), N. AND . Panin (1788), AF Turchaninova, ES Kurakina (both - 1792), AI Lazarev (1802), E. ; I. Gagarin (1803), E. Chichagova (1812-1813) and others, most of them installed in the cemeteries of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg and the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow.

in 1797-1798 completed a sculptural composition "Monument to the parents" for a memorial pavilion in 1803-1805 created the song "spouse benefactor" for the mausoleum of Paul I. In 1800 completed work on the statue of "Acteon" for the Grand Cascade of fountains in Peterhof.

In 1804 took part in the competition to build the monument to Minin and Pozharsky, where he was awarded the first prize. The work lasted more than ten years, opening ceremony of the monument took place on Red Square in Moscow in 1818 and became a popular event: "The confluence of the inhabitants was incredible: all the shops, the roof of the Guest of the court ... and most of the Kremlin towers were covered with people eager to enjoy the extraordinary spectacle of the new sim" - the newspaper Moscow News.

Simultaneously with work on the monument to Minin and Pozharsky in 1804-1807 was engaged in the sculptural decoration of the Kazan Cathedral, which has created songs for the "worm-Moses, water, stone," "Birth of the Virgin Mary", "Conception, Mother of God" as well as the statue of John the Baptist. In 1812, in the hall the Noble Assembly in Moscow was a monument to Catherine II of Martos. In 1812-1820 performed monuments Paul I and Alexander I in the name of Count AA Arakcheeva Georgian.

Among the later works Martos noteworthy monuments E. de Richelieu in Odessa (1826), Alexander I in Taganrog (1831), MV Lomonosov in Arkhangelsk (1832), D . A. Potemkin in Kherson (opened after the death of the sculptor in 1836). In 1831 created the sketches of sculptures for the Church of St. Catherine at IAH. Created a series of sculptural portraits.

In 1935 the State Russian Museum held a retrospective exhibition of works by masters.

Ivan Petrovich Martos - a prominent Russian sculptor of the last third of the XVIII - the first third of the XIX century, whose works have found their expression of classic ideals. The source of his inspiration was primarily the art of ancient Greece: even Minin and Pozharsky been likened to a sculptor ancient heroes. Characteristic features of his works are a clear composite building, calm, measured rhythm, harmonious way. Favorite was a marble sculptor's material, which allows us to achieve a soft light-shadow transitions, transfer softness, fluidity of fabrics and draperies, the warmth of the human body.

Martos works are in several museum collections, including the State Russian Museum, State Tretyakov Gallery, the Scientific Research Museum of Russia Academy of Arts.