Abstract:

Within the group of lesser-known foreign painters who stayed in Croatia between the two world wars, Russian painter Alexei Hanzen (b. February 2, 1876 in Odessa – d. October 19, 1937 in Dubrovnik) stands out with his artistic achievements. Having immigrated to Croatia in 1920, he remained here for the rest of his life. Nearly two decades spent in Croatia have been a time of intense work, during which Hanzen participated in numerous exhibitions organized almost every year in Zagreb, as well as in Split, Osijek, Dubrovnik, Ljubljana, Belgrade, Paris, Buenos Aires, Prague and elsewhere. His paintings could be seen at private houses, in public and museum collections, and at various royal courts, and are nowadays part of various collections in Croatia. Early in the 20th century, Hanzen studied painting in Munich, Berlin, and Dresden, and then continued his artistic training in Paris, in the ateliers of Tony Robert-Fleury and Jules Lefebvre. He was the grandson of the famous Russian marine artist Ivan Kostanti- novich Ajvazovsky, and likewise specialized in painting sea scenes, presented at various exhibitions from 1901 onwards. For his work he was awarded in Paris and Russia, and in 1910 became the official painter of the Russian Navy.

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