Russian Art
Ivanov, A. A.
"Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene". 1833 - 1835
Notes: The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection
There are many preparatory studies for this well-known work, a product of Ivanov's early years in Italy. The artist conceived the painting as a test of his abilities to execute an even more ambitious multi-figure composition (see "The Appearance of Christ" in this ImageBase). The depiction of complex emotion in the kneeling figure of the Magdalene particularly captured the attention of connoisseurs.
Ivanov was obsessed with the artist's power to express nuances of emotion. While twentieth-century artists and critics perhaps place less emphasis on the expression of emotion, any evaluation of Ivanov's oeuvre must take that aspect of his work into account. The artist's peers were so impressed by "The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection" that they awarded him the title of Academician.
