Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 4 works by Andrey Ivanov in our catalogue
In short
Selbstporträt (1800) is the Andrey Ivanov painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. After it, the eye goes to Tancred and Clorinda (1790) and The Exploit of a Kievan Boy (1810). Among the 4 works of Andrey Ivanov in our catalog, these 4 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
In this 1800 oil-on-canvas, we find ourselves in an intimate encounter with Andrey Ivanov. The portrait is a bust-length study, capturing the man in a moment of profound introspection. He is positioned slightly off-center, his body turned toward the right, yet his gaze remains fixed directly upon us, creating an immediate, unmediated connection. There is a certain dignity in his posture, a quiet confidence that suggests a man deeply acquainted…
The 3 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Andrey Ivanov | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 The State Russian Museum |
St. Petersburg | 2 | The Exploit of a Kievan Boy, Minerva in the Heavens |
 Tretyakov Gallery |
Moscow | 1 | Selbstporträt |
 Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts |
Yekaterinburg | 1 | Tancred and Clorinda |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
In this 1800 oil-on-canvas, we find ourselves in an intimate encounter with Andrey Ivanov. The portrait is a bust-length study, capturing the man in a moment of profound introspection. He is positioned slightly off-center, his body turned toward the right, yet his gaze remains fixed directly upon us, creating an immediate, unmediated connection. There is a certain dignity in his posture, a quiet confidence that suggests a man deeply acquainted…
Selbstporträt (1800), Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Tancred and Clorinda (1790) and The Exploit of a Kievan Boy (1810) come next.
25 years old: Selbstporträt dates from 1800, and Andrey Ivanov was born in 1775.
Our catalog holds 4 works by Andrey Ivanov, dated from 1790 to 1820.
Mostly in The State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg), Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow) and Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts (Yekaterinburg). The museum table above lists them all.
On this page, the earliest is Tancred and Clorinda (1790) and the latest Minerva in the Heavens (1820).
The Exploit of a Kievan Boy and Minerva in the Heavens: the The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg holds 2 of the works on this page.
The story of Andrey Ivanov begins in the quiet, often harsh reality of a Moscow orphanage. Abandoned by his parents, the boy found his first true sanctuary within the walls of the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1782. It was there that a raw talent began to take shape, nurtured by the guidance of Grigory Ugryumov and Gabriel François Doyen. By the time he graduated in 1797, he had already begun to navigate the complex social and artistic hierarchies of the Russian Empire. His early years were spent in the disciplined pursuit of the old masters, copying their works and painting icons, a practice that grounded his hand in the traditions of the past before he sought to define the present.
His ascent within the Academy was steady. He moved from a student to a teacher, and by 1803, he had earned the title of Academician. His skill in capturing the weight of history was recognized when he was appointed a Professor in 1812, following his powerful depiction of Prince Mstislav the Brave and the defeat of Rededya. He was a man of the era, a painter whose brush was deeply entwined with the shifting political tides of the reigns of Tsars Alexander I and Nicholas I.
Artistic ambition often brings a painter into direct conflict with the powers that be. For Ivanov, this friction arrived in 1830 with a painting titled "The Death of General Kulnev." The work portrayed a moment of military tension that struck a nerve with Tsar Nicholas I, leading to a sudden and forced removal from the Academy. This period of professional exile did not silence him; instead, it saw him remain an active presence in various artistic societies, continuing to paint even as his official standing was stripped away. His resilience was noted by his peers, most notably when Karl Bryullov, returning to Russia to great acclaim, chose to place his own laurel wreath upon Ivanov's head in a public gesture of respect.
His life was marked by several significant milestones and personal connections:
In his later years, Ivanov remained a figure of consequence in the Saint Petersburg art scene. He lived through a period of immense change, his Neo-Classical style providing a sense of order and historical gravity to a changing empire. His life ended not through the slow decline of age, but through the sudden strike of cholera. He died in Saint Petersburg, leaving behind a legacy of history paintings that sought to capture the essence of human struggle and classical dignity. His influence lived on through his son and through the many students who passed through the Academy he once helped lead.
