Ivanov, Viktor Semenovich

Born Oct. 29 (Nov. 11), 1909, in Moscow; died there Nov. 26, 1968. Soviet poster artist. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1955). Became a corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR in 1958.

Ivanov studied under M.P. Bobyshov and B.V. Dubrovskii-Eshke at the Leningrad Academy of Arts from 1929 to 1933. He designed sets for motion pictures from 1933 to 1941 (for example, Lenin in 1918, 1939, jointly with Dubrovskii-Eshke). He later worked primarily on political propaganda posters, notably the TASS Windows from 1941 to 1943. Ivanov’s most significant posters are distinguished by their publicistic fervor and precise elucidation of the subject. His posters include We’re Drinking Water From Our Beloved Dniepr; We Will Drink From the Prut, the Neman, and the Bug! (1943), Forward! Westward Ho! (1942), We Shall Do Five Years’ Work in Four! (1948), We Say No to War! (1962), and the series of posters V. I. Lenin (196364). Ivanov also was an easel (picture) painter. He received the State Prize of the USSR in 1946 and 1949.