Pavel
Petrovich Ivanov

IVANOV Pavel Petrovich (pseud. Paul Mac).
The son of a military officer. Since childhood showed artistic ability. Graduated from the 1st Moscow gymnasium. In 1911, with the assistance of older brother Viktor Ivanov, literary and theatre critic, began working as a cartoonist with Moscow and St. Petersburg Newspapers and magazines: "Rampa and life", "Theatre and art", "theatre in the caricatures", "Satyricon", etc. spent a lot of caricatures of theater and art world, he performed satirical portraits of S. N. Rachmaninoff, N. K. Roerich, N. Goncharova, M. M. Fokin, V. F. Nijinsky, Anna Pavlova, and others Signed his cartoons: Mac or Paul; later, in exile, Paul Mack began his legal name, enshrined in the documents.
In 1913, some time worked as a decorator of Mamontov's theatre of miniatures under the direction of Mary Artsybusheva. At the same time became interested in Argentine tango, became a partner of the famous dancer, Elsa krüger and gained fame in this field. In 1913-1914 he took lessons at the art Studio of K. F. Yuon and I. O. Dudin.
In 1916 he entered the Kiev Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, military school, after which he was promoted to officers. In 1917-1918 he served in the 89th white sea infantry regiment participated in the battles, received six wounds (including heavy, in the thigh, during the Brusilov breakthrough) and was awarded the George cross 4th degree. The war ended with the rank of captain. In 1918 he was arrested by security officers wearing officer's uniform with awards and spent several months in Butyrka prison. In 1920 worked as an artist in the Theater of revolutionary satire in Moscow.
In the late 1920s with his first wife Elizabeth S. Kurbsky went to the South of Russia, where in April 1921 through Turkestan and Afghanistan made it to the North-East of Persia. In the spring of 1922 settled in Tehran. The first years earned a living as a racehorse trainer.
In Tehran started to learn the techniques of Persian miniature, which has created its own style by blending elements of Russian icons with the aesthetics of Western modernism. As an artist-miniaturist and portrait painter received some notoriety in high society. Among acquired friends was count F. W. von der Schulenburg (later the Ambassador of Nazi Germany in the USSR) and the Qadjar Prince Firuz Mohammad Hussein. In early 1926 he held his personal exhibition, which exhibited miniatures at the Eastern themes ("Salome", "Scheherazade", "Tamerlane", "Genghis Khan", "1001 nights"), and scenes from the life of Mongols, Turkmens and the Persians. In the same year, the British Minister sir Percy Lorraine, presented it to the Shah Mohammad Reza, Plevy, who gave him a Persian citizenship and made a court painter (1927). Soon after, performed in the technique of Persian miniatures of the monumental (14 square meters) portrait of the Shah on the Peacock throne, which until the overthrow of the Imperial regime was in the throne room Galeschinskoe Palace in Tehran.
In early 1928 left Iran to Egypt. In the same year held an exhibition in Cairo, there was earning a living from custom portraits. At the end of the year he first visited Paris and then London, where he held an exhibition in the gallery of Leceister. In 1929 he returned to Cairo and in 1931 moved to Athens, where he had previously settled his sister Valetnina. In the same year at the Athens gallery "Versailles", was held his exhibition. In 1932, newly arrived in Paris and held an exhibition at the gallery Bernheim-Jeune, which in 1933 in full strength moved to London and was shown at the fine arts Society.
In 1934 he settled in Paris, but four years later was expelled from France at the request of the oilman and philanthropist G. S. Gulbekian, who accused the artist of immoral behavior towards his daughter Rita.
From 1938 he lived in Brussels, where long odd jobs, worked as a miner. In 1940 he was sent by the occupation authorities to operate in the airport of Zaventem near Brussels. In 1943, met with the Russian actress Lydia Alexandrovna Turdinae who became his wife and helped him return to art. In 1943/1944 participated in the Salon of Russian artists in occupied Brussels. 1945 and a regular participant in Belgian exhibitions annually held personal exhibitions in Brussels and of the province. In 1958 he received a gold medal at the International exhibition in Brussels for the works exhibited in the Iranian pavilion.
In recent years, wrote the allegorical paintings on modern topics were turned to the images of Russian mythology (Sirin, Alkonost, Gamayun, "SV. George").
In 1968 a retrospective exhibition of the artist organized by his son Vladimir, was held at the London gallery Wolton. Family archive kept by the son of Dmitry Gordina Mak (Belgium).