Lived I. A. Ivanov in St. Petersburg. Served as a Post office and was passionately fond of painting. His artistic experiments brought him fame — he had patrons among the well-known Russian art patrons. In the estate of one of them — the known collector A. Tomilov — painter repeatedly visited. Some time, I. A. Ivanov studied with M. N. Vorobyov at the Academy of arts, apparently, as volnoprihodyaschego student. The artist wrote landscapes and paintings on everyday topics, are in great demand. His major work the artist executed in 1840-ies.